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Ecologist: Job description and activities

Job description

Ecologists are concerned with ecosystems as a whole and, within them, the abundance and distribution of organisms and the relationships between organisms and their environment. Ecologists carry out a wide range of tasks depending on their specialist knowledge (e.g. freshwater, marine, terrestrial, fauna, flora). When starting out, ecologists often conduct surveys to identify, record and monitor species and their habitats. With career progression, work is likely to become more wide-ranging, with senior ecologists being more involved in policy and management work.

Work commonly supports compliance with European and UK environmental legislation so ecologists must be aware of environmental policies and legislation.

Typical work activities

The work of an ecologist depends on the nature of the employer and the purpose of the work. For example, environmental impact assessments are required by law for planning permission; the UK Biodiversity Action Plan at national and local level has given rise to comprehensive lists of species that need to be monitored and protected; there is an increasing demand for the collection and management of biological information for national databases (see, for example, the National Biodiversity Network (NBN)  ); and climate change is monitored by mapping the movement of key species.

Typical work activities may include some of the following to a greater or lesser degree:

• conducting field surveys to collect information about the numbers and distribution of organisms;
• taxonomy - classifying organisms;
• applying sampling strategies and employing a range of habitat survey techniques, such as: Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), aerial photography, records and maps;
• carrying out environmental impact assessments;
• analysing and interpreting data, using specialist software programs;
• habitat management and creation;
• writing reports and issuing recommendations;
• liaising with and advising site managers, engineers, planners and others associated with a survey;
• building relationships with stakeholders, including members of the public;
• carrying out research;
• undertaking teaching in schools or in field centres;
• keeping abreast of new environmental policies and legislation;
• contributing ideas about changes to policy and/or legislation, based on ecological findings.

AGCAS

Written by Tracey Innes, University of Aberdeen

Last updated:

April 2009

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