Department of Ecology

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Mission Statement of the Department of Ecology

We develop fundamental knowledge needed to understand our changing Earth and particularly, the Alpine region. We foster an interdisciplinary approach to understand ecological principles and processes, as well as aspire to be a center of excellence in mountain ecology.  We advance the education of students by providing the scientific basis of ecology, as well as professional skills in applied research."
 

The Department of Ecology was founded in 2006 by merging most ecological sections of the Departments of Botany and Zoology & Limnology. Since then, additional chairs in Ecosystem and Landscape Ecology, Molecular Ecology and Alpine Freshwater Ecology have contributed to our interdisciplinarity and commitment to high quality.

The main research focus lies on the study of interactions among biota, between biota and their physicochemical environment, and between biota and society. Being both, basic and applied, it covers a wide range of organizational levels and time scales: from molecular to landscape and from seconds to millennia.

Given the strategic geographical position of the University in the Alps, our research is centered on the Alpine space which offers a large diversity of ecosystems, as well as scientific and real-world challenges.

Our students acquire skills in this broad range of expertise through an attractive curriculum that offers a blend of theoretical and practical courses on Ecology, Biodiversity and Evolution.

The Department's research is organized in three research units according to strategic themes

Alpine Freshwater Ecology

Ecosystem Research and Landscape Ecology

Animal and Molecular Ecology