Good day! We are Ecology students from the Philippines seeking a crab expert to give us insights regarding our species of choice, Metopograpsus latifrons; specifically, we seek to know their trophic structure and life cycle, which are crucial information to the foundation of our thesis. In line with this, we are humbly asking for your help for the completion of our thesis by providing us with the appropriate information. All the information you will provide will be much appreciated. Thank you and have a great day!

Currently an intern through Conservation Legacy at my local conservation district. After my term is over I think the easiest transition for me is into NRCS but my ultimate goal is to work with wildlife. Would an NRCS job be a good way to get my foot in the door for a future job in wildlife?

Hi, this is a semi-duplicate since i've been told to be more specific, i want to pursue a MSc in a Umi abroad, do you know some good universities in microbial ecology/soil ecology, my interest in this subject are on modelling (mathematically and statistically) communities also through metagenomics etc. I'm european so is easier to me to reach an eu uni. Thanks!

The other day, I watched The Wild Robot in the cinema, and is was clear as day that the creators of the film did their research on animal behaviour etc. This got me wondering about two key moments in the film: all of the animals hibernating together peacefully under the same roof - literally - during a particularly bad winter, and all the animals working to knock a tree over into a river to put out fires. Does anything similar to this happen in real life, where when there's a natural disaster or a crisis, all animals, predator and prey, form a temporary truce for the sake of their survival above anything else?

“Tree planting campaigns are important, but it’s more important that we do it right, planting the right trees in the right places," says ecologist Jake M. Robinson. In a new interview, Robinson explains what it really takes to grow a forest. Read more.

I am looking for graduate programs in ecology/evolution that don't require a recommendation from an advisor to apply. I have found some labs/advisors that are willing to take me on as a grad student which is awesome, but I want to apply to more programs because I am unsure if I will get accepted to the graduate schools themselves.

Does anyone know of any grad programs that will match you to an advisor/lab if you don't have one when you apply? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

I'm considering a position that requires living at Smithsonian's Tropical Research Institute in Gamboa, but I was hoping to get some insider opinions on living at the institute. What are your experiences? Also, did you feel like it was a boost to your career to be there? It is difficult to leave my current position but I'm tempted to follow my passion over the stability and reliable income that I currently have. I don't want to do it and then realize I've made a huge mistake by leaving my current role. Thanks!

This might be a dumb question but I have been wondering what separates invasive species from the natural path of species migration/dispersion/relocation. I know invasive species are typically brought over by humans, have no natural predators, and live in an environment similar enough to their home environment climatically that they can survive.

Wouldn't this have been true of many species, pre-humans, that walked or rafted over to other lands and recolonized there? Like horses, or gray wolves, or dire wolves, or lemurs, there are so many examples of animals that entered new areas where they possibly had no natural predators and were able to thrive for a long time until the environment adapted to their presence through natural selection.

I am looking for an answer that isn't just "because humans are bad" - I feel like modern ecology can sometimes lack perspective on human-wildlife interactions, and how we are animals and a part of nature too, so what we do is not alien, even if it doesn't have a positive outcome.

Lastly, can a species overcome its invasiveness? Do they become habituated after a certain point? What is that point?

Thank you!

Hello everyone, I would appreciate some career advice. Sorry if this sub is not the correct for this!

I studied Ecology and Ethology (MSc) and I am 35, with around 6 years experience in ecology-related field. I am based in Southern Europe and the story is that I have been working for an environmental NGO for the past 4 years. The responsibilities of the job as of now are mainly camera trapping, analyzing wildlife data and public awareneness, where I will visit areas with wildlife damages, inform the people there, help by giving advice on how to be more prepared, protected and get compensation for the damages by the government. I've been having a lot of fun, I learned (and still learning) lots of stuff and getting experience in wildlife research and conservation. I am also writing my first scientific papers at the moment.

My problem with my current job is (besides the inadequate salary and the contracts that sometimes last for 2-6 months) that in the last months I realized that having an actual hands-on experience often with animals/wildlife is important for me (rarely the NGO might trap animals to track with GPS collars but it has not occured while I work here yet) and I am wondering how I can make this change in my career. So basically, I have a great job that does not fulfill me anymore.

Some ideas I had were:

1. Wildlife or pet/stray rehabilitation which with my ethology degree it's pretty close but something more close to a veterinary degree is required I believe. Could there be any courses (either online or not) in order to be able to find this kind of job?
2. Working in a zoo as an animal trainer (I have the education but not the job experience), so it might be needed to go to an animal training school before trying to do this?

Of course, these are only 2 possible ideas. I have been searching for jobs mainly in other countries in Europe (Southern Europe is not a really good place to live financially with this kind of job or in general) but I do not have any connections outside my country and the websites I know are basically only LinkedIn. Any suggestions on where I could check? I have worked in Norway before (not wildlife-related) and studied my ethology MSc in Sweden so I have a inclination to go to Skandinavia again.

Also, in the present, I do not know exactly what animal I want to work with, I am in the phase of working it out in my mind, so any kind of advice of suggestion would be greatly appreciated. I do know that with my education and experience I have some more or less solid background for 6 years in the sector of conservation biology and wildlife research.

Anyway, sorry for the long sheet of information and questions, have a great day if you read all the way to the end and thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Any new englanders on here? I am seeking a course in wetland ecology and restoration online or in person. Any thoughts??

I did an aquatic vegetation survey using the point intercept method. However, instead of counting the individual species observed on our rake, we gave it a ranking. I.e dense, sparse, etc. then those were translated into numbers. Dense=4.

I suppose I could use the numbers to calculate the index..but I feel that is disingenuous because I didn’t find 4 individuals on my rake. That was essentially just an arbitrary number we gave any rake classed as dense.

Thoughts?

I have a steady job in consulting that pays enough. The work is fun some days, but mostly unfulfilling and I just hate the days where I have to be around construction crews. But I love where I live and I realize I'm very fortunate to have consistent work and a flexible schedule right now.

However, I was just offered a research tech position working at an international field station. I'd be studying the exact thing that I'm most passionate about, and have opportunities to advance my academic career through networking, one-on-one time with a professor, data analysis, and potential for co-authorship. It sounds amazing, BUT it is a temporary position and I'd struggle to return to the same life I'm living now after it is over.

The job market is terrible right now, and it's always been hard finding full-time work in this industry. I'm afraid to take the temporary position, but it seems like it would give me the kind of experience that I need to be able to apply to graduate programs in the future. But realistically, I'd end up back home with my parents in a place that I don't want to be after it's over. I want to take a chance on this new job, but it seems irresponsible to deny the higher pay and health insurance that I have right now. My passion is research and academia, and my brain is stagnating in my current role. But...I don't want to make a decision that I will ultimately regret. Also, who knows what might happen to the industry if the orange man is elected...

What's your opinion? Would you stick with a steady job that isn't as fulfilling but pays more and live in a place that you love? Or would you take the exciting research opportunity that would be wonderful experience, but pays less and is guaranteed to end and leave you in an uncertain place in life? I have some opportunities for career advancement here already, but the allure of tropical field work studying my passion is strong. Just don't want to upend my life for my career, only to end up back in foodservice yet again...

I have a job interview this week for a university's Ecology & Evolutionary Biology department. Naturally, I want to do we well as possible for every reason from money to paving the way for a future Masters experience.

However, the detailed written description to me was rather vague. It definitely involves general lab inventory and administration , but also constructing experiements and dealing with plants and animals in some capacity. It very much seems to be supporting classes at least some of the time, but I've no idea if it involves anything like a specific lab's research.

Any ideas on how I could best prepare?

I'm in a terrible position, and it is all my fault. All I ever wanted in life is to go grad school to study ecology. It has been my ONLY professional goal. I worked really hard to get research experience and publications in college, but I have a terrible GPA. I was suffering from untreated mental health issues and juggling full-time school alongside full-time work. I figured I could offset that GPA by spending some years gaining more experience, and I was right.

I applied to grad school three times, was accepted every time. I had to reject schools the first two years because there was no stipend nor tuition assistance, and of course the main advice in this field is to NOT pay for a masters.

Finally, I got TWO funded masters positions! I chose one, and went for it. However, I suffered greatly in the first semester. My advisor was not the best, and I won't get into it here, but it ruined my confidence. I took a leave of absence planning to return this year. More things came out about my advisor that made me very hesitant to return. At the very last minute, I decided not to return and to voluntarily withdraw from the program. I regretted it IMMEDIATELY. I should have stayed. Now, I have a terrible uGPA and a recent withdrawal from grad school.

I worked so hard for so many years to find a fully funded position, and I just ruined it for myself. I hate the opportunities available to me with only a bachelor's degree. My passion is to do research. At this point, I'd be willing to pay for a master's program just to get a foot in the door. I just feel like all hope is lost. I don't know how to bounce back from this. It's so hard to find funded MS positions, and I did, and I blew it. I don't have anything to look forward to in life anymore. I feel truly and completely worthless without a graduate degree. I don't have a specific question, just any feedback is appreciated. I don't want to live the rest of my life as an ashamed failure. I never thought I would ever be in this position.

Dear members, what is your passion that drives your interest in the ecology major?

Hey all! I remember reading a study long ago where they used a fungus (Chondrostereum purpureum) to treat common buckthorn. Well it popped into my head recently and it seems a product called Lalcide Chondro was eventually released.

Has anyone every used the stuff? How did it work? Is it approved for use in the US?Additionally, does anyone know where to buy it? The links I’m finding on google are dead ends. Thanks!

I am a bee keeper 8 hives 6 years . I am quite knowledgeable on bees. Some times when talking about honey bees people ask if there is a book I would recommend . I don’t want a text book or scientific book to recommend. I want fact based but reads like a novel fun to read leaving one with a sense of wonderment and joy and how bees are important. There was a thread on this , but for all genres. Any honey bee specific good reads ?

I want to get my masters in ecology - I have looked online and found some interesting programs and labs. However, I have no idea what to do next!

I would like to be able to chat with someone about the program, but I am not sure who to contact. Do people contact current students? Professors? Does anyone know what the protocol is here?

I was also wondering if anyone has any advice on the process of getting an assistantship? Do people just reach out to the professors? Do they contact them prior to being accepted?

Any insight would be appreciated! Thanks!

Sorry for the lack of details on this species and location but I need some independent advice while keeping it anonymous. I’m working for a non-profit conservation organisation in a very remote area and have authority to work to save a critically endangered species (I have a few team members but I’m the only one with a tertiary biological sciences background). This species is down to maybe 1000 adults in widely scattered locations in our small district, and is very vulnerable to predation, food shortages, drought and fire. A few colonies are doing ok, but others are down to maybe under ten individuals (we think - as they can be hard to find in rough terrain). We are trapping for predator pests and planting food species trees. An opportunity has arisen for some of this species to be taken into captivity for breeding purposes but I’ve been asked to recommend on the following options:

1. Take a group of individuals from a ‘healthy’ colony, where numbers should bounce back.
2. Search for a few individuals from some of the colonies that are in serious trouble and take them in, which might finish off that population in the wild (these are often in areas that are harder to protect anyway).
3. Take some from each group?

I’m keen to hear what other’s opinions are, as I don’t have much of a support system in place professionally.

I got partial credit for a quiz recently that asked, what adaptations do conifers have that allow them to thrive on the west side of the Cascades. The four choices to pick from were, Needle-like leaves, Deep root systems, Broad leaves, Thick bark. I selected only needle-like leaves and thick bark.

We did not discuss the depth of root systems in in-person lecture. On an online lecture for the class it mentioned that Picea sitchensis which is found west of the Cascades has shallow roots. The same lecture also mentions Pseudotsuga menziesii having deep tap roots in dry soils, which made me think this most likely refers to populations occurring in the more arid eastern regions of the NW.

In addition, we also had a chart displaying max root depth of various forest types throughout the globe in the lecture, from this paper https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28307789/

We were only given the chart, and I'm unable to access the paper to gather more info. The graph shows Desert, Sclerophyllous shrubland & Forest, Tropical evergreen forests, and trees of Grassland and Savanna all having much greater root depths than Temperate Coniferous forests.

I would think that trees in mesic environments would not have as deep of roots since water is more readily available throughout the year, and thus would not want to devote energy into growing deeper into the soil and more into growing laterally.

I feel like I'm getting mixed messages on other online sources and was wondering if anyone had more insight into the reality of this question and whether or not it is worth debating over my grade.

I appreciate any useful explanations.

Hello one of my first few post so please forgive me.

I’m just finishing year 12 and am considering doing a Bach of science in biodiversity and conservation next year at Newcastle uni. (Maybe UTS)

However I’m not sure what job opportunities there are in Australia as I don’t think I want to go into research. And also unsure of if I need more than just a bachelors for a job.

So just wondering about job opportunities and amount of education needed for certain jobs?

Just like general information about the field would be very appreciated.

The internet has always been a pandoras box of intellectual regression, misinformation, and other alarming problems for society. But I feel like lately it's gotten noticeably worse.

Hi - first time EVER! post, so please be a little lenient. The destruction of the beaver population in north america for the fur trade must have been at least as destructive as the introduction of rabbits to Australia. Has anyone done a comprehensive study on the ecological impacts? vegetation coverage? erosion? all the things?? I would love to read it. Thank you