Academics
Prerequisites
Because of the wide variety of backgrounds of people attending the Summer Field Program, some students may need extra preparation before attending camp. Following are suggestions for people lacking a background in either statistics or botany.
- Botany: Prior study of botany is recommended. Students may want to review some of the essential concepts of botany, such as basic plant classification, physiology, and ecology covered in beginning botany or forest ecology texts. The material is nicely covered in A Brief Introduction to Plant Biology (Rost et al. 1984. John Wiley & Sons, New York.) This and similar books are available in the Biosciences Library at UC Berkeley, or can be ordered through any bookstore.
- Statistics: Students who have not had an introductory course in statistics may find it advantageous to read the introductory sections of a basic statistics text, and to bring the text with them.
The Courses
The courses for the program are organized to provide a broad exposure to the relevant natural resources as integrated systems. Emphasis is placed on aspects of the subject matter which are best taught in a field environment. The program is presented in five interrelated upper division courses (ESPM 101A–101B–101C–101D-101E), which are designed to prepare students for all upper division work on the Berkeley campus. These courses are:
ESPM 101A: Sierra Nevada Ecology (4 units) Forty-five hours of lecture and field exercises per week for three weeks (including Saturday sessions). Prerequisites: 8 units of biological science or consent of instructor. Ecology of forests, mountain meadows, montane chaparral, and riparian zones of the Northern Sierra Nevada. Major emphasis on ecology as a basis for resource management and the maintenance of biological diversity.
ESPM 101B: Silviculture (1 unit) Forty hours of lecture and field exercises for 1 week. Prerequisite: ESPM 101A. . Evaluation of systems for managing forest stands including regeneration, stand density control, forest growth, genetic tree improvement, and prescribed burning. Field trips and lectures to local areas illustrating different approaches to forest problems.
ESPM 101C: Forest Measurements (2 units) Forty hours of lecture and field exercises per week for two weeks. Prerequisite: ESPM 101B. Introduction to tools and procedures for measuring forest resources, introduction to land surveying, use of aerial photography, development of timber inventories, including measurement of trees, forest growth and other forest resources.
ESPM 101D: Timber Resource Utilization (1 unit) Forty hours of lecture and field exercises for 1 week (including one overnight field trip). Prerequisite: ESPM 101C. Introduction to evaluation of harvest systems and access systems, wood structure and quality, and manufacture of forest products. Development of timber harvest plans by student teams, visits to industrial operations for familiarization with land management practices and utilization operations.
ESPM 101E: Forest Resource Management (2 units) Fifty-five hours of lecture and field exercises for 1 week (including two evening sessions). Prerequisite:ESPM 101D: The interactions of water, wood, wildlife, range, fisheries, and recreation resources are examined by student teams to develop an environmental assessment report and multiple-use integrative management plan for selected study areas. On-site analysis, presentation, and review of reports is conducted.
