Conservation Biology and Applied Ecology

The programme combines training/education/classes in basic and applied animal ecology, conservation biology, tropical biology, and global change biology. The programme aims to introduce students to fundamental ecological and evolutionary principles, to teach important topics in applied and conservation ecology, and to provide training in methods covering remote sensing, animal census techniques, statistical data evaluation, and development of conservation strategies and programmes. The programme topics cover a large variety of ecological and conservation related courses, e.g. on biodiversity research, climate change biology, animal-plant interactions, ecological sustainability, evolutionary and behavioural ecology, ecological theory and modelling, macroecology, biological conservation, agroecology, forest ecology, chemical ecology, soil ecology, ecology in alpine or tropical environments, ecosystem services like pollination and biocontrol, insect ecology, and biology of social insects including honey bees and ants. Courses in other disciplines of biology like socio-biology, neurogenetics, and behaviour as well as courses on remote sensing in the department of geography, courses in the Centre of Computational and Theoretical biology (CCTB), or in the Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Data Sciences (CAIDAS) are possible. Statistics and scientific writing are additional skills that will be trained. The two selected topics are composed of two theory modules as well as one practical course unit each. Further research training is provided in selected fields of interest. Students are actively involved in ongoing research projects and learn to independently plan and perform theoretical, experimental, and observational work and finally, to summarise and discuss results obtained in their Master's theses.