Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Specialization

As changes in land use and global climate accompany human progress, we need to know how these factors impact the world's biota and ecosystems. Consequently, the need for trained research personnel in ecology, taxonomy, morphology, physiology, and evolutionary biology is accelerating.

The discipline of ecology and evolutionary biology (EEB) brings together faculty who are interested in how organisms interact with their environment and how these interactions have resulted in organismal diversity. The group covers a variety of disciplines and research interests but is unified by the theme that ecological interactions result in evolutionary process.

Levels of research range from understanding how specific molecules enhance an individual's survival to understanding the dynamics of, and human effects on, ecosystems and global processes. Questions emerge at the level of the molecule, gene, individual, population, community, ecosystem and the entire globe.

In addition to the Biological Sciences Department, diverse faculty interested in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from across the campus are brought together by the Ohio Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies. OCEES forms an interdisciplinary community that integrates research with education, including a heavy focus on undergraduate involvement.