Ecologist Job Description

Ecology can be termed as the study of biotic organisms and their interaction with the environment around them and the impact of these transactions. The job involves the study of the impact that living organisms have on the ecosystem and how it affects their habitation. The job profile is very interesting and comes with a great responsibility of studying the environment we live in and predict the effects of our interactions with the ecosystem. There are different sub specialties under this branch, for example there are marine ecologists who study aquatic ecosystems, then there are forest ecologists who will study the forest environment and its impact, some will specialize in studying plant life while others in animal life.

Education and Salary

To make a career as an ecologist you at least need a Bachelor of Science in Ecology, the program course will focus on biology, chemistry and life process. However this is a basic program and you will need to study a master's program in order to further your career. Masters program will consist of classroom training as well as on the field experiences. At the end of the program students will get much-needed exposure to the ecosystems and their inhabitants in the internship. Individuals can also enroll for a PhD program if they are interested in teaching or research positions.

Like most salary ranges for jobs the ecologist salary depends on the location, education and experience of the individual. Statistics have revealed that the average ecologist salary can range anywhere between USD 45,000 to USD 65,000. Most ecologist are hired by the government for research work and are compensated well, the salary can easily touch the USD 85,000 mark. If you see the state-wide average of ecologist's salaries you will find that in California the salary is around USD 81,000 and in New York it can go to USD 90,000 annually.

Job Description of an Ecologist

Ecology is the study of the environment and its inhabitants, the job therefore involves the study of living organism and their impact on the non living components of ecosystem. Today, there is more awareness about the impact of environment on our lives and this has led to development of specialized branches of ecology. The job description will vary according to the specialization.

Marine Ecologist
As the name suggests this branch of ecology deals with aquatic life and the impact it has on the environment that we live in. Marine ecologists will study the aquatic life forms like fish, plants, etc and study the impact on their environment. They will also work in zoos, and aquariums to help preserve and protect marine life forms. Marine ecologists are also required to carry out environmental impact assessments and study ecology issues.

Restoration Ecologist
The scientific approach to recreating degraded ecosystems is known as restoration ecology and is an important part of environmental sciences study. Due to globalization and the impact of human population many ecosystems have been destroyed and the restoration ecologists will work on projects dealing with reviving the environment with introducing measures like re-vegetation. They will work in areas where there has been ecological damage like deforestation and try to revive the environment by planting trees and at times removing non native weeds. Restoration ecologist will also have to burn areas of land to make it suitable for re plantation, they will also at times re direct streams to help the local environment.

Forest Ecologist
Studying and classifying the different species of plants, animals and insects in the forest is one of their major tasks. They will also study the impact of humans and global warming on the forest soil and climate. Forest ecologist will have to carry out studies that will help in implementing conservation projects. They will have to implement different techniques to carry out habitat surveys and use equipment like global positioning systems and aerial photography.

The job also involves writing detail reports of their studies on environment conservation projects or the impact evolution is having on the ecosystem. The job at times can be challenging due to the on field nature of the work.