Past Event: Tropical Forest Ecology Internship Summer 2025 (YSE)

Brazil internship

This event has passed.

We are seeking undergraduate students interested in environmental science and/or ecology to join a field-based project focusing on tropical forest ecology, plant-soil-interactions, and forest restoration in the southern Bahia State, Brazil during the summer of 2025. All internships have the potential to support data collection for an independent research project on a topic adjacent to the study. Topics may include climate change, soil carbon, plant community dynamics, disturbances, restoration, etc. Independent projects have the potential to culminate in a manuscript ready for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. This is a perfect opportunity for EVST, EEB, and EPS students who are exploring a senior thesis or research project.

PROJECT: Tropical Edge Effects Study Investigating differences in edge effects between planted forest and pastureland on secondary forests in Brazil

Project Description: There is a significant lack of work analyzing secondary forest recovery within tropical regions that have undergone largescale land conversion. While secondary forests are responsible for less carbon sequestration than existing primary forests, a better understanding of their successional pathways and how they operate similarly or differently to primary forest is paramount for integrating secondary forest restoration into natural carbon capture solutions. 

Within the highly fragmented Atlantic forests of Bahia, Brazil, there can be expected divergence in land use effects on secondary forests between forest plantations and pasture that stem from their biophysical differences and associated management, however these effects have not been explored. With a large amount of land conversion from pasture to forest plantation occurring in Bahia over the last century, understanding how these land uses differ in their effects on secondary forests is becoming increasingly pertinent for forest managers. To address this knowledge gap, this project will use forest inventory methods in tandem with a chrono sequence of Eucalyptus plantations to investigate If tree plantations provide shelter to neighboring forests and reduce detrimental microclimatic conditions compared to pasture and allow for secondary forests to sequester more carbon than pasture adjacent forest.

INFO & HOW TO APPLY:

We are seeking candidates that will be available for 6-10 weeks between May and August 2025.

Qualifications & Requirements:

  • The candidate should be able to lift up to 50lbs.
  • The candidate should be comfortable working outdoors (humid and hot conditions)
  • Be comfortable living with graduate students, and able to wake up early 5 days a week
  • Applicants with previous work in tropical forests, soils, or plant ecology are highly encouraged to apply.
  • Have an up-to-date passport that will not be expiring within the year.

Funding: Candidates will be expected to secure their own funding such as the Yale College,

Summer Experience Award, Summer Environmental Fellowship, Summer Climate Technologies Fellowship, Yale College Public Service Research Grant - Research for a Better World, or Richter Fellowship. Depending on project funding, housing and travel costs may be covered or partly covered by the project coordinator.

We will provide guidance for students applying for Yale summer funding opportunities.

Mentoring: Interns will work alongside the doctoral students who designed these projects. Mentoring from Yale School of the Environment doctoral students will be immensely helpful for those designing senior thesis research.

For more information, or questions please contact the project coordinator:

manny.flores@yale.edu Edge Effects between planted forest and pastureland

To Apply: Please send a short paragraph describing your interests to the project coordinator (above). Include name, enrollment year, field of study and a description of your background in field work or research. Please send your email with the subject line: “Your name – Brazil 2025”. Deadline: February 28th 2025, however, applications will be considered on a rolling basis.