Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology

Graduate Advisors: https://eccb.tamu.edu/graduate-degrees
Website: https://eccb.tamu.edu

The Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology (ECCB) offers graduate programs leading to MS and PhD degrees in Ecology and Conservation Biology. The MS and PhD degrees train students for careers in research and management of terrestrial and aquatic ecological systems, as well as other fields linked to ecology and conservation biology. The MS degree offers a thesis and non-thesis option, allowing flexibility in both graduate education and preparation for a variety of career trajectories. Fields of study include biodiversity science, ecosystem science, conservation biology, genetics/genomics, organismal biology, physiology/nutrition, ecohydrology, ecological modeling/forecasting, ecological restoration/impact mitigation, and spatial science.

Facilities within the department include modern teaching classrooms and laboratories. There are 29 state-of-the-art research laboratories in the department, including the Biodiversity Teaching and Research Collection, the Stable Isotopes for Biosphere Sciences Laboratory, the Spatial Sciences Laboratory, and the S.M. Tracy Herbarium. Field sites and facilities are available throughout Texas and beyond. The ECCB faculty acquire external competitive research grants and contracts that provide funding for additional research avenues and graduate student support. A number of internal and external fellowships are also available to prospective students.

Graduate courses are designed to develop the academic skills of individuals and to advance their knowledge in professional fields related to Ecology and Conservation Biology. Departmental seminars facilitate graduate student development and serve to relate the most recent research findings applicable to the discipline.

The department welcomes applications from students with diverse educational backgrounds, experiences, and interests and specifically seeks applicants from underrepresented groups in ecology, conservation, and the sciences more broadly. Individually planned graduate programs assure a focused education that meets the needs of each candidate.

Additional information on academic programs and faculty may be found at eccb.tamu.edu.

Ecology and Conservation Biology (ECCB)

ECCB 600/EEBL 600 Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Basic principles and methodologies of ecology and preparation for pursuit of advanced study in subfields such as population biology, community ecology, evolutionary ecology and ecosystem science; emphasis on population, community and ecosystem processes that also have significance and influence at landscape, regional and global scales as well as proximate to evolutionary time scales; basic principles of ecology that are critical to biological conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems and renewable natural resources. Prerequisites: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: EEBL 600/ECCB 600.

ECCB 601 Teaching Methods for Ecology and Conservation Biology Science Labs and Courses

Credits 0-1. 0-1 Other Hours. Introduction to the fundamentals of teaching university science lectures and labs; two-day training workshop for graduate teaching assistants; weekly meetings during the semester for teaching assistants. Prerequisites: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.

ECCB 602/GENE 648 Molecular Evolution

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Theory and tools used in the analysis of molecular evolutionary patterns of DNA and protein sequences; format combines lecture presentations by instructor, discussion of relevant scientific literature, computer exercises, preparation of research proposal or independent research project, and practice in peer review process. Prerequisite: Basic courses in general Genetics and Evolution. Cross Listing: GENE 648/ECCB 602.

ECCB 603 Ecological Modeling

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Philosophical basis, theoretical framework, and practical application of systems analysis and simulation within the context of ecology and natural resource management; emphasis placed on development, evaluation and use of simulation models by students. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

ECCB 605 The Research Process

Credits 2. 2 Lecture Hours. Nature and objectives of graduate work, the scientific method and basic and applied research. Introduction to design of experiments and analysis of data; principles of organization of project proposals, theses and scientific reports.

ECCB 606 Quantitative Phylogenetics

Credits 4. 3 Lecture Hours. 4 Lab Hours. Designed to provide the theory and tools required for inference of phylogenetic (evolutionary) relationships among biological taxa using various types of comparative data including morphological characters, biochemical and molecular characters, and DNA sequences; hands-on analysis of data using contemporary tools. Prerequisites: ENTO 601 or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: ENTO 606 and GENE 606.

ECCB 612 Agrostology

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 3 Lab Hours. Basic concepts of grass structure and classification, recent advances in agrostological research, genetic and ecological basis for patterns of variation and evolution in grasses.

ECCB 613 Dynamics of Populations

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Principles, models and methods for analysis of population dynamics; analysis of contemporary research emphasizing theory and its uses in evaluation and management of animal populations; laboratory emphasizes mathematical, statistical and computer modeling of population phenomena.

ECCB 614 Down River: Biology of Gulf Coastal Fishes

Credit 1. 3 Lab Hours. Understanding the biological complexity of Gulf Coast river systems while gaining hands-on experience in field and museum ichthyological techniques; sampling of the Guadalupe and San Antonio rivers; participation in lectures, museum preparation and archiving specimens at the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections (BRTC). Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ECCB 616 Field Herpetology

Credit 1. 3 Lab Hours. Field work involving collection and preservation of herpetological specimens; natural history, ecological relations. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.

ECCB 620 Ecological Restoration of Wetland and Riparian Systems

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. How wetland and riparian areas link terrestrial and aquatic systems and function hydrologically and ecologically within watersheds; integrated approaches for restoration of degraded wetland and riparian systems; improving water resources through vegetation management with a special interest in rangelands. Prerequisites: ECCB 205 or equivalent and RWFM 428 or equivalent.

ECCB 621 Physiological Plant Ecology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Investigation of physiological mechanisms influencing ecological patterns and processes, including plant acclimation and adaptation in contrasting habitats, abiotic controls on species productivity and distribution, relevant conceptual and experimental approaches, and integration among ecological scales. Prerequisites: ECCB 205 or MEPS 313 or equivalent; graduate classification.

ECCB 626 Fire Ecology

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 3 Lab Hours. Behavior and use of fire in the management of natural resources; principles underlying the role of weather, fuel characteristics and physical features of the environment related to development and implementation of fire plans. Prerequisites: Graduate classification and approval of instructor.

ECCB 630 Advanced Restoration Ecology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Dynamic discipline relying heavily on the fundamentals of ecology; practice translating and communicating key ecological concepts to advanced case studies in ecological restoration; enhance skills for professional applications. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.

ECCB 631 Ecological Applications in R

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introduction to R and diversity of statistical packages available; data summary and manipulation; univariate and multivariate statistics; populations and community ecology; time-series and spatial analysis.

ECCB 633 Coastal Processes and Ecosystem Management

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of current state of knowledge in coastal ecosystem science with integrated view across sub-fields of coastal ecology, geomorphology, biology, law, policy, economics and engineering; focus on techniques to manage, construct and restore ecosystems. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ECCB 634/GENE 633 Conservation Genetics

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Genetic concepts and techniques relevant to management and conservation of biological diversity; research and conservation strategies within a conservation genetics framework. Prerequisite: Introductory courses in genetics and ecology or biological conservation. Cross Listing: GENE 633/ECCB 634.

ECCB 635 Ecohydrology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Framework for understanding how plants and animals affect the water cycle; examine and explore the water cycle in all of its aspects with the idea of understanding how changes in land cover may influence the water cycle; implications for both upland and riparian systems. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ECCB 644 Remote Sensing of the Environment

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Remote sensing for the management of renewable natural resources; use of aerial photography and satellite imagery to detect, identify and monitor forest, range and agricultural resources; utilize remotely sensed data as input to computerized information management systems. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ECCB 645 Ecological Genomics

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Ecological genomics toolkit including genetic maps, genotyping, RAD-sequencing, whole-genome assembly and resequencing, RNA-sequencing analyses; genomics of adaptation; speciation genomics; speciation genomics; conservation genomics; genomics and life history traits; phylogenomics; climate change and genomics. Prerequisites: GENE 301, GENE 302, GENE 310 or GENE 412, or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: EEBL 645 and GENE 645.

ECCB 646 Drones for Environmental Remote Sensing

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Fundamental components of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), sensors and platforms, UAS operational concepts, the principles of UAS data collection, legal framework within which UAS should be operated and applied, data processing software and the generation of orthomosaics and 3D point clouds, emphasizes the use of UAS in a broad spatial sciences, technology and applications context, including vegetated ecosystems. Prerequisite: ECCB 444, ECCB 644, ECCB 656, GEOG 651, or GEOG 661.

ECCB 648 Wetland Plant Taxonomy

Credits 3. 1 Lecture Hour. 4 Lab Hours. Interpretation of plant morphologies for keying and the identification of wetland plants from prime habitats; plant communities including the plant's adaptation to variation in salinity and soils; identification of inconspicuous flowered plant species including sedges, rushes and grasses. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

ECCB 651 Geographic Information System for Resource Management

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Geographic Information System (GIS) approach to the integration of spatial and attribute data to study the capture, analysis, manipulation and portrayal of natural resource data; examination of data types/formats, as well as the integration of GIS with remote sensing and Global Positioning System; laboratory includes extensive use of GIS applications to conduct analyses of topics in natural resources. Prerequisites: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: BAEN 651 and RWFM 651.

ECCB 652/BAEN 652 Advanced Topics in Geographic Information Systems

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Advanced GIS topics with a focus on modeling actual GIS applications including relational and database theory, design and implementation and its connection to GIS; surface analysis with digital terrain models; and an introduction to spatial statistics. Prerequisite: ECCB 651 or BAEN 651. Cross Listing: BAEN 652/ECCB 652.

ECCB 654 Amazon Field School

Credits 4. 4 Lecture Hours. Investigation of social and ecological complexities of biodiversity conservation in tropical ecosystems; biological and social science approaches to evaluate causes, consequences and solutions to biodiversity loss through ecology, culture and governance.

ECCB 655/RPTS 655 Applied Biodiversity Science I

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Study in the areas of conservation genetics, metapopulations, landscape ecology, and ecosystem management. Prerequisite: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: RPTS 655/ECCB 655.

ECCB 656 Advanced Remote Sensing

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Advanced techniques for information extraction using airborne and satellite imagery; active and passive sensors characteristics; customizing and developing image processing tools for remote sensing applications for a broad range of sensors and applications. Prerequisites: ECCB 644, GEOG 651, GEOG 661.

ECCB 658/RWFM 658 Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Ecological, cultural, and historical dimensions of human-wildlife interactions; root causes of conflict; multidisciplinary frameworks of analysis; lessons learned from practitioners; examples of coexistence; case studies across taxa and continents. Prerequisites: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: RWFM 658/ECCB 658.

ECCB 660 Landscape Analysis and Modeling

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Introduction to quantitative methods of landscape analysis and modeling for applications in natural resource conservation and management; quantification of landscape composition and configuration; spatial statistical methods for characterizing landscape pattern; methods for hypothesis testing with spatial data; landscape modeling approaches and applications; current literature and software. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

ECCB 671 Ecological Economics

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Study of the relationships between ecosystems and economic systems; understanding the effects of human economic endeavors on ecological systems and how the ecological benefits and costs of such activities can be quantified and internalized. Prerequisite: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: AGEC 659/ECCB 671 and RENR 659.

ECCB 681 Seminar

Credit 1. 1 Other Hour. Reviews and discussions of current topics and advances in Ecosystem Science and Management. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

ECCB 684 Professional Internship

Credits 1 to 16. 1 to 16 Other Hours. On-the-job training in fields of ecosystem science and management. Prerequisite: Graduate classification in an ecosystem science and management major.

ECCB 685 Directed Studies

Credits 1 to 9. 1 to 9 Other Hours. Investigations not included in student's research for thesis or dissertation. Prerequisite: Graduate majors or minors in Ecosystem Science and Management.

ECCB 689 Special Topics in...

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Other Hours. Selected topics in an identified area of ecosystem science and management. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.

ECCB 691 Research

Credits 1 to 23. 1 to 23 Other Hours. Research for thesis or dissertation. Prerequisite: Graduate majors in Ecosystem Science and Management.

Barboza, Peregrine, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, University of New England, 1991

Belshe, Elizabeth, Instructional Assistant Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, University of Florida, 2013

Casola, Claudio, Associate Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, University of Pisa, Italy, 2006

Conway, Kevin, Associate Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, San Louis University, 2010

Feagin, Russell, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2003

Fitzgerald, Lee, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, University of New Mexico, 1993

Fujiwara, Masami, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Massachusetts Inst of Technology, 2002

Gan, Jianbang, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Iowa State University, 1990

Gatlin, Delbert, Regents Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Mississippi State University, 1983

Gonder, Mary, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, The City University of New York, 2000

Grace, Jacquelyn, Assistant Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Wake Forest University, 2014

Grant, William, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Colorado State University, 1974

Hibbitts, Toby, Lecturer
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, University of the Witwatersrand, 2006

Hurtado Clavijo, Luis, Associate Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Rutgers, 2002

Jiao, Wenzhe, Instructional Assistant Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Indiana University, 2022
PHD, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2017

Kreuter, Urs, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Utah State University, 1992

Lawing, Anna, Associate Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Indiana University, 2012

Light, Jessica, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Louisiana State University, 2005

Loopstra, Carol, Associate Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, North Carolina State University, 1992

Mateos, Mariana, Associate Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Rutgers, 2002

Noormets, Asko, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Michigan Technological University, 2001

Perkin, Joshuah, Associate Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Kansas State University, 2012

Popescu, Sorin, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Virginia Tech, 2002

Rogers, William, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Kansas State University, 1998

Spalink, Daniel, Assistant Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2015

Srinivasan, Raghavan, Distinguished Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Purdue University, 1992

Stronza, Amanda, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, University of Florida, 2000

Veldman, Joseph, Associate Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, University of Florida, 2010

Voelker, Gary, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, University of Washington, 1998

West, Jason, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, University of Georgia, 2002

Wilcox, Bradford, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, Texas A&M University, 1986

Winemiller, Kirk, University Distinguished Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, The University of Texas at Austin, 1987

Winemiller, Leslie, Instructional Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, The University of Texas at Austin, 1989

Wu, Xinyuan, Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1991

Yorzinski, Jessica, Associate Professor
Ecology and Conservation Biology
PHD, University of California at Davis, 2012