Master in Environmental Biology

Ecology and Evolution

This option is centred on the conceptual and empirical aspects of ecology and evolution. It covers fundamental areas ranging from

• population, community to ecosystems ecology
• theoretical ecology and evolution
• eco-evolutionary feedback dynamics
• evolutionary and population genetics
• evolutionary and ecological genomics
• behavioural ecology
• the evolution of life histories and aging
• phylogenetic analyses of organismal relationships

Research groups in these areas work on a variety of study systems and use a broad range of experimental, observational, and theoretical approaches. Biological systems include various insects; birds; plants and their microorganismal communities; microbial soil communities; relict tree species; threatened aquatic species; invasive species; and alpine vegetation ecosystems.

Methods encompass

• laboratory experiments
• field observations and experiments
• genomics and bioinformatics
• statistical analyses
• computer simulations and theoretical modelling