Ecologist

Ecologists are concerned with the relationships between organisms, and between organisms and their environment and carry out a wide range of tasks depending on their specialist knowledge (e.g. freshwater, marine, terrestrial, fauna, flora, etc.). When starting out, ecologists often conduct surveys, identifying, recording and monitoring habitats.

Work becomes more wide-ranging, depending on how careers progress, with senior ecologists being generally more involved in policy, appraisal and interpretation work.

The work supports compliance with European and UK environmental legislation and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, so ecologists must be aware of environmental policies and legislation, which they also have an influence on shaping. 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: liaising with site managers, engineers, planners and others associated with a survey, 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.

Taxonomy - classifying organisms,analysing and interpreting data, using specialist software programs, habitat management and creation, writing reports and issuing recommendations, advising engineering firms, road planners, construction firms and other stakeholders, carrying out research, undertaking teaching in schools or in field centres,keeping abreast of new environmental policies and legislation, developing changes to policy and/or legislation, based on ecological findings.