Dear Prospective Graduate Students,

Many thanks for your interest in my research, and the Ph.D. program in Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

I currently serve as primary advisor to three graduate students, and serve on the committees of a number of other students.  Currently, my group includes: (1) Alden Griffith, who is working on the impacts of reduced snowfall on the germination, growth, biomass, and cover of the invasive grass Bromus tectorum at the ecotone between the Sierra Nevada and the Great Basin Desert of eastern California, (2) Holly Alpert, who is studying the impacts of long-term snow depth forcing on community composition and tree growth and recruitment at the ecotone between the Sierra Nevada and the Great Basin Desert of eastern California, and (3) Amy Concilio, who is studying threshold relationships between water and nitrogen supply and tree recruitment and productivity in temperate and tropical forests.  There are usually a number of undergraduate students conducting senior thesis or internship research in my lab as well.

Most of the work in my research group is conducted at the Valetine Eastern Sierra UC Reserve (which has all the modern conveniences) near Mammoth Lakes, CA at the ecotone between the Sierra Nevada conifer forest and the Great Basin Desert Artemisia tridentata dominated shrubland. It could be described as a high-elevation, cold desert.  Conditions range from temperatures below freezing to over 40 C, with precipitation ranging from dry and dusty with summertime thunderstorms to cold wintertime snowstorms.  This site is at the headwaters of the Owens River, which has been extensively engineered to provide water for the City of Los Angeles. We work closely with many agencies in the area, such as the US Forest Service, which provides an important outreach component for our work.

Our current work focuses primarily on the impacts of snow depth forcing (i.e. changes in snow depth that simulate future climate conditions) on plant and ecosystem processes.  We are studying how snow depth and the timing of snow melt affect photosynthesis, growth, seedling recruitment, species composition, biomass accumulation, carbon dynamics and storage, and nutrient cycling.  These studies are conducted in the context of global change ecology, conservation biology, restoration ecology, and wildfire ecology. There are a number of projects available for students, including but not limited to: impacts of climate change on shrubland restoration (such as for closed roads on the Inyo National Forest), fire fuels accumulation, long-term tree growth (via annual ring growth analyses or “dendrochronology”), and linkages with local and regional hydrology.  Given the potential for future snowfall regimes to affect the recreation industry in this region, another potential research project would entail examining the coupled physical, biological, and social impacts of climate change.

We also conduct some experiments on the impact of altered summertime thunderstorm regimes on this ecosystem, and students are welcome to develop thesis work in this topic.  Moreover, there are a number of interesting climate change related projects that could be developed for the coastal grasslands near Santa Cruz. 

Most important, students are required to develop testable experimental hypotheses that result in information useful to society in general, and management and policy in particular.

I expect my graduate students to exhibit a certain degree of independence, but I also make every effort to be available for advice and support.  I encourage students to pursue their own research questions within the realm of my interests.  I expect my students to have a general prospectus for their research by the spring following their entry into the program and to begin preliminary field work during that summer (sooner if possible).  Thus far, my students have been very successful in obtaining their own funding through fellowships and grants; some funding is available through the University in the form of fellowships, TAs and RAs.  Usually graduate students are accepted with some guaranteed funding, and I usualy provide some summer support.  I consider taking on a graduate student as a serious time and financial commitment on my part and work closely with students to obtain funding. 

The graduate program in Environmental Studies at UC Santa Cruz is interdisciplinary.  In order to be admitted to the program students should have completed courses in ecology, economics, policy, and statistics. Coursework experience in plant physiological ecology and/or physiology would be good if you want to work with me, but you could make up these classes at UCSC.  Graduate coursework covers the areas of conservation biology, agroecology, and environmental policy and institutions.  Personally, I require my students to have a strong background in ecology and requisite courses in other sciences and math.  It is essential that my students have previous independent research experience as we only have a Ph.D. program.

If you are interested in applying to the Environmental Studies Program at UCSC under my sponsorship, I ask that you first send me a letter via regular mail or e-mail with the following information: (1) a description of your academic and work background, with particular reference to your past research experience; (2) what types of questions you plan to address in graduate school; (3) why you want to do a Ph.D. and your ultimate career goals; and (4) why you are interested in the Environmental Studies Program at UCSC and working with me in particular.  This information is helpful to me in determining whether I would be an appropriate advisor for you.  Generally, it is helpful both to me and serious prospective students if they visit UCSC before applying to the program.

I hope this answers your questions regarding my research program.  If you have specific questions about the program or the admissions process you should contact Kristina Loften at 831-459-4836.

Best regards,

Michael Loik