Wildlife Ecology?

Question

What is wildlife ecolgy.. Is it like a career or what. What I really want to do is study animals, travel while studying them in labs or outside, and that it pays well. I also want to study ecology. So what job invovles all that. Pays well is not as important as the rest i mentioned. Thanks!!!

Answer 1

Yes! There are a lot of jobs that certainly fall under that umbrella. Technically wildlife ecology is the study of the interplay between organisms and their environment, their ecosystems, to define it very, very loosely. It's a really fascinating field - in class I've done everything from learn to identify birds in the field to identifying mammals by their skulls to learning how to study aquatic systems with different sampling tecniques to tracking animals with radio telemetry to (you get the point - we do cool stuff).

I would look into whatever university you're considering to find out more about their program and the options, but there's definitely plenty out there. For a start, and for general ideas, check out http://wfsc.tamu.edu/ . Great school, fantastic department. At the least it'll give you some ideas - check out the job board, there are always interesting things listed. Don't hesitate to shoot the advisors an email if you have questions; they're really helpful.

You should know, though, that this field typically doesn't come with a big pay check. They told us the first day of Wildlife 101 that if you're in it for the money, you need to change majors. If this is where your heart is, though, you should definitely go for it. Wonderful field to get into! Best of luck.

Answer 2

I don't know much about either. So, I hope these links will help answer your questions. Good Luck.

Ecology

http://www.princetonreview.com/GradProgr...

Basic Information

Ecologists study the relationship between living organisms and their natural and built environments. How does habitat effect and sustain population and health, and how do organisms affect air, soil, water, food, temperature? Students of ecology can probe questions at the cellular level by choosing courses or programs focused on Microbial Ecology. Students of natural habitats can opt for programs in Wildlife, Plant, or Marine Ecology. And the burgeoning fields of Human, Community, and Population Ecology tend to be associated with studying sustainable development. Depending on which track you’ll choose, a course of study may incorporate biology, statistics, computer techniques, mathematical modeling, and systems analysis (in fact, when looking for programs, take note of programs in Conservation Biology).

Salary Information

Again according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, environmental scientists working for the Federal Government earn on average $66,190; those in management, scientific, and technical consulting services earn $45,560; in local governments, $45,270; in architectural, engineering, and related services, $44,590; and in state government, $44,580.

http://www.schoolsintheusa.com/careerpro...

http://www.collegeboard.com/csearch/majo...

http://www.econguru.com/fundamentals_of_...

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ecolog...

http://barrameda.com.ar/ecology/index.ht...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecology

http://dir.yahoo.com/Science/Ecology/?sk...

Wildlife Ecology

http://forest.mtu.edu/academics/wildlife...

What is Wildlife Ecology and Management?

Wildlife Ecology and Management is the practical ecology of wild animals and their habitats.

Where do Wildlife Ecologists and Managers get jobs?

Graduates of the Wildlife Ecology and Management program are employed by the US Forest Service, State Divisions of Natural Resources, Environmental Consulting Firms, US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service.

http://www.bio.txstate.edu/~wlbio/gradst...

Wildlife ecology, as an area of study and concern, has grown in the United States and Texas over the last 50 years to play a major role in developing decisions on land and water use, wildlife populations, and recreation. Wildlife issues are no longer confined to hunting, fishing, and agricultural pursuits, but rather encompass much larger issues pertaining to energy sources, urban and suburban development, overpopulation of some species, threatened and endangered species, water use and availability, and coastal development, among others.

http://www.cals.wisc.edu/students/majors...

http://www.wle.umaine.edu/Undergrad_Prog...

http://www.wle.umaine.edu/Wildlife_Dept/...

http://snr.unl.edu/degrees/grad_Wildlife...

http://www.wec.ufl.edu/

http://www.wec.ufl.edu/academics/ugrad/H...

http://www.collegeboard.com/csearch/majo...

http://www.unh.edu/natural-resources/ug-...

http://forestandwildlifeecology.wisc.edu...

http://www.massey.ac.nz/~darmstro/wildli...

http://www.warnell.uga.edu/h/graduate/de...

http://wildecology.ifcnr.com/about.cfm

...might be related, not sure though

http://www.collegeboard.com/csearch/majo...

http://www.collegeboard.com/csearch/majo...

http://www.collegeboard.com/csearch/majo...

http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=...

http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=...

http://online.onetcenter.org/find/quick?...