What does a behavioral ecologist do?

What is a Behavioral Ecologist?

Behavioral ecologists are scientists who study the behavior of animals, including humans, in relation to their natural environments. Integrating principles from ecology, evolution, and animal behavior, and utilizing field surveys, experiments, and mathematical modeling, they investigate how behaviors evolve, how they are adapted to ecological conditions, and how they impact an organism’s survival, reproductive success, and population dynamics.

The work of the behavioral ecologist has important implications for biodiversity conservation, wildlife management, and animal welfare.

What does a Behavioral Ecologist do?

Duties and Responsibilities
Behavioral ecologists aim to uncover the underlying mechanisms and evolutionary processes that shape animal behavior, contributing to our broader understanding of ecology, evolution, and the conservation of biodiversity. Here’s a summary of their typical tasks and responsibilities:

• Field Observations – conducting observational studies in the natural habitats of animals to gather data on their foraging patterns, reproductive strategies, social behavior, migration, and responses to environmental factors
• Experimental Studies – designing and conducting experiments in controlled settings to test hypotheses about animal behavior, such as the effects of resource/prey availability, competition, predation risk, or environmental stressors on behavior
• Data Analysis – analyzing data collected from field observations and experiments using statistical and mathematical methods to identify patterns, correlations, and relationships between behavior and ecological factors
• Modeling – developing mathematical models to simulate and predict animal behavior under different ecological scenarios, helping to understand the adaptive significance of behaviors and their impact on population dynamics and evolution
• Publication and Communication – publishing research findings in scientific journals, presenting findings at conferences, and communicating research to the public, policymakers, and conservation organizations to inform and influence decision-making and conservation strategies
• Conservation and Management – collaborating with conservationists, wildlife managers, and policymakers to apply research findings to conservation efforts, habitat management, and the mitigation of human-wildlife conflicts, such as crop damage, predation on livestock, and urban wildlife issues
• Teaching and Education – educating students, colleagues, and the public about animal behavior, ecology, and conservation through teaching, mentoring, workshops, and outreach programs

Types of Behavioral Ecologists
Now that we have a sense of the potential scope of the behavioral ecologist’s work, let’s look at some different types of these ecologists, each specializing in various aspects of animal behavior and ecology. These are some of the common subfields within behavioral ecology:

• Foraging Ecology focuses on the study of how animals search for, select, and consume food, and how foraging behaviors are influenced by factors such as prey availability, competition, and predation risk.
• Reproductive Ecology investigates the behaviors associated with finding and attracting mates, establishing territories, courtship displays, mating systems, and parental care strategies.
• Social Ecology studies the interactions between individuals within populations, including cooperation, competition, communication, social structure, and the evolution of social behaviors.
• Migration and Dispersal Ecology examines the movements of animals between different habitats, often in response to seasonal changes, resource availability, or to avoid unfavorable conditions and environmental challenges such as extreme temperatures, drought, or habitat destruction.
• Conservation Behavior focuses on understanding how human activities impact animal behavior, and how behavioral insights can inform conservation strategies and wildlife management practices.
• Cognitive Ecology investigates the cognitive abilities of animals, including learning, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making, and how these cognitive skills influence behavior and ecological interactions.
• Communication Ecology focuses on the study of animal communication systems, including visual, auditory, and chemical signals, and how communication behaviors evolve and function within ecological contexts.
• Evolutionary Ecology integrates principles from ecology, evolution, and behavior to understand how behaviors evolve in response to ecological pressures, and how behavior influences an organism's survival, reproductive success, and evolutionary fitness.
• Human Behavioral Ecology applies the principles of behavioral ecology to study human behavior from an evolutionary perspective, examining how cultural practices, social norms, and environmental factors influence human behavior and adaptation.

These subfields often overlap, and behavioral ecologists may work across multiple areas, integrating different approaches and methodologies to address complex research questions.

In addition to working in one or more of the niches described above, behavioral ecologists may specialize further. Here are some examples:

• Taxonomic Specializations – Behavioral ecologists may specialize in studying specific groups of organisms, such as birds, mammals, fish, insects, or reptiles. For example, ornithologists focus on the behavior of birds, while primatologists study the behavior of primates.
• System-specific Specializations – Behavioral ecologists may specialize in studying particular ecological systems or habitats and how animals adapt their behavior to them. Examples include marine ecosystems, tropical rainforests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, urban environments, and agricultural landscapes.
• Methodological Specializations – Some behavioral ecologists specialize in specific research methodologies or techniques, such as molecular ecology, stable isotope analysis, telemetry tracking, remote sensing, or bioacoustics.
• Interdisciplinary Specializations – Behavioral ecologists may collaborate with experts from other disciplines to study complex ecological and behavioral phenomena. For example, they may work with geneticists, physiologists, neuroscientists, anthropologists, or computer scientists to integrate genetic, physiological, neurological, anthropological, or computational approaches into their research.
• Applied and Conservation Specializations – Some behavioral ecologists specialize in applied research aimed at addressing conservation challenges, managing wildlife populations, mitigating human-wildlife conflicts, or developing sustainable resource management practices.
• Theoretical and Modeling Specializations – Behavioral ecologists may specialize in theoretical ecology and mathematical modeling to develop and test theoretical frameworks, predictive models, or simulation tools to understand and predict animal behavior and ecological dynamics.

What is the workplace of a Behavioral Ecologist like?

Behavioral ecologists can work for a variety of organizations and institutions across different sectors. These are among their most common employers:

• Academic Institutions – Universities and research institutes often employ behavioral ecologists as faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, or research scientists.
• Government Agencies – Governmental organizations such as wildlife departments, environmental agencies, and conservation authorities employ behavioral ecologists to conduct research, monitor wildlife populations, develop conservation strategies, and manage wildlife and natural resources.
• Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) – Conservation organizations, wildlife rehabilitation centers, and environmental NGOs often employ behavioral ecologists to conduct research, design and implement conservation projects, and advocate for wildlife protection and habitat preservation.
• Zoos and Aquariums – Zoological parks, aquariums, and wildlife sanctuaries employ behavioral ecologists to study animal behavior, design enrichment programs to enhance animal welfare, and develop breeding and reintroduction programs for endangered species.
• Private Sector – Environmental consulting firms, ecological research companies, and biotechnology companies may employ behavioral ecologists to conduct environmental impact assessments, biodiversity surveys, and research on animal behavior for commercial applications.
• Museums and Science Centers – Natural history museums and science centers often employ behavioral ecologists to conduct research, curate exhibits, and develop educational programs and outreach activities to promote public understanding of ecology, evolution, and animal behavior.
• International Organizations – International conservation and development organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), employ behavioral ecologists to conduct research, develop conservation policies and programs, and collaborate with governments and local communities to promote sustainable development and biodiversity conservation.
• Media and Communication – Some behavioral ecologists work as science writers, journalists, or communicators for media outlets, publishing companies, and science communication organizations, translating scientific research into accessible and engaging content for the general public.

Common work environments for behavioral ecologists include outdoor field sites and field stations in natural habitats, laboratories, offices, classrooms and lecture halls, and remote and international locations.