What Does an Ecologist Do?
Someone who studies nature, and the organisms within nature, is called an ecologist. Ecologists are people who care about the Earth and try to find ways to preserve it. Most have at least a bachelor’s degree, either in ecology or some related field, such as biology or life sciences, and many have advanced graduate degrees as well. The main job of an ecologist is to perform research. Ecologists prepare field studies based on concerns about the environment. For example, an ecologist may study the environmental impact, or consequences, of building a dam near a largely forested area. The ecologist would consider how this change in the environment would affect individual species of trees, plants and wildlife, as well as how the change would affect the ecosystem as a whole. The information gathered would then be typed up with a recommendation and presented to the government, local environmental organizations, and anyone else who may have a hand in building the dam. Ecologists don’t do all of
Ecologists study the relationships between plants, animals, and their environments. They also teach others to understand and appreciate the natural world we live in and depend on. Q: What type of college degree is needed? A: No degree is needed for someone to study the environment or to assist in programs at a nature center, zoo, or summer camp. A college education is typically required for teaching in K-12 schools. For universities, a master’s degree is usually necessary, and for most, a doctoral degree is required. Q: What types of courses in high school would be helpful? A: Courses in biology, chemistry, and mathematics will all be applicable toward college training to be an ecologist. Language arts and computer courses would also be helpful for any scientific career. Q: What science skills are necessary? A: Learning how to observe and measure natural phenomena and to design and carry out experiments would be worthwhile skills. For research ecologists, training in statistical analys
Ecologists study the relationships between plants, animals, and their environments They also teach others to understand and appreciate the natural world we live in and depend on. Q: What type of college degree is needed? A: No degree is needed for someone to study the environment or to assist in programs at a nature center, zoo, or summer camp. A college education is typically required for teaching in K-12 schools. For universities, a master’s degree is usually necessary, and for most, a doctoral degree is required. Q: What types of courses in high school would be helpful? A: Courses in biology, chemistry, and mathematics will all be applicable toward college training to be an ecologist. Language arts and computer courses would also be helpful for any scientific career. Q: What science skills are necessary? A: Learning how to observe and measure natural phenomena and to design and carry out experiments would be worthwhile skills. For research ecologists, training in statistical analysi
An ecologist studies the interactions between living things and their environment. Some of the topics studies include population dynamics (the demography of populations), community ecology (the composition of species in a community), and ecosystem ecology. This can be done with a combination of observational field work and manipulative experiments as well as mathematical models.
