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Find Your Niche As An Ecologist

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The Green Decade is coming. Be ready to lead the way as an Ecologist.
Looking for jobs in science? There are as many jobs as there are types of science. Biologists, physicists, chemists, mathematicians and many other types of scientists are employed all throughout our everyday lives. If you have an interest in the disciplines of science, you can use that thirst for knowledge to satisfy your need for a successful and lucrative career as well.

Science Jobs and you

Science impacts our world every day. Chemistry provides us with solutions and medicines we need to cure illness create materials and alter substances. Geology tells us about the earth we live on and where to find important minerals and petroleum products. Physics helps us design machines and split the atom. Biology and botany allow us to understand not only the animals and plants around us, but also our own development on this planet. Each of these sciences contributes an important element to our daily lives, and each requires dedicated professionals to understand and use the principles of science.



Science jobs can be found in industry, government, education and even business. Scientists develop new materials and products, test theories and discover new principles, uncover the history of the earth and the principles of the universe. Mathematical scientists develop theories that govern everything from the nature of the atom to the basics of economics—sometimes in the same theories!

Maximize your science job search: Ecologist Jobs in Science

It’s a good bet that the coming decade will be known as the Green Age. Global warming, environmental change and the impact of humans on the environment is causing governments, corporations and private citizens to take a new look at the role of ecology in our changing world. And leading the way to understand this role is the ecologist.

But what is ecology? Simply defined, ecology is the study of relationships between organisms and the environments they live in. Ecologists specialize in studying these relationships; population levels and types of populations, interactions of organisms on the environment, and the operation of the environment. There are also specializations in the ecological discipline, including plant ecology, molecular ecology, microbial ecology, animal ecology, evolutionary ecology, functional ecology, forest ecology, landscape ecology, conservation ecology and paleoecology. Each specialization involves a different way of looking at how organisms and the environment interact with each other.

Ecologists work for corporations to determine environmental impacts of a company’s future plans. They vet housing developments projects and other large scale construction projects. In the public sector, they often aid city planners and managers in determining best uses of land and watershed properties. Ecologists are also occasionally part of consulting groups who are tasked with vetting environmental effects of projects from weapons testing to parks.

Working Conditions

Ecologists work both in the laboratory and the field. Field work often means traveling to outdoor areas, where the terrain may be rough and the work difficult. You may spend days sleeping in tents, cataloging plants, animals or gathering samples. But it’s not always a grueling slog. Ecologists who study fish populations or reefs seem to spend a lot of time skin-diving in tropical lagoons or camping out on palm-shrouded beaches! The truth is, ecology is everywhere, and some field sites are just better than others.

Lab and class work are also a big part of the ecologists’ job. The lab is where you put together the information you may have gathered in the field, distilling it into graphs, charts, reports and experiments. If you work for a corporation or governmental agency (and many ecologist do), you’ll have to summarize your findings in reports or papers that can be used to determine business (should we drill here?) or land use (what property use should this area be zoned for?) decisions. You may also end up in the classroom, teaching what you have learned in an academic setting. Of course, as ecology becomes more important in daily life, you may also find yourself on TV as an expert speaker or talk show guest (but that’s pretty rare).

Qualifications

To apply for an ecologist job is similar to applying for any scientific position. A minimum bachelor’s degree is required for an entry level position, although in these cases it will usually mean that the job seeker will, at best, be collecting samples, taking surveys or doing simple lab work under the direction of a more senior researcher. Degrees in environmental sciences, plant and forest ecology, conservation biology, or related fields are best, although a degree in biology or botany may also serve. Published papers and examples of field work are a must. Advanced degrees are, as in most academically based careers, favored over B.A. Senior ecologists who manage large teams need at least a PhD degree. A Ph.D. is also required for pursuing independent, industrial or governmental research, or for teaching at the college level, as well as for most administrative positions.

Earnings

As of 2006 surveys, median annual earnings for ecology and wildlife biologists were $53,300, with starting salary offers averaging $34,953 a year for bachelor’s degree candidates in the biological and life sciences.

Employment Outlook

As an ecologist, you can work in a wide variety of setting: government organizations, environmental groups, academic settings, pure research teams, international studies, corporations, and natural resource research projects. All of these employers have found a growing need for ecologists to determine environmental impacts studies, climate change effects and information that will influence policy decisions worldwide. Competition will remain high for positions at the PhD level, with job growth forecast to be slightly higher than the average for all jobs overall.

Conclusion

As ecological management and environmental concerns become more important over the coming “green” decade, the role of scientists, especially in ecological and environmental positions will be crucial. But those with the right training can expect to find positions even in a very competitive market.
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