Ecology is oriented towards the grand blueprint of national ecological civilization construction, aiming to cultivate ecological science talents with solid scientific qualities and humanistic cultivation. From the perspective of evolution and adaptation, students understand life and the relationship between life and the environment, and study the conservation of rare animals such as giant pandas.

The ecology program adheres to the integration of general education and professional education, emphasizing the cultivation of correct values and a sense of social responsibility, as well as the development of independent thinking and innovation capabilities.

The ecology program focuses on inspiring students' interest in exploring the life activities of nature, enhancing their enthusiasm for investigating and solving ecological and environmental problems. It aims to lay a comprehensive and solid foundation for cultivating advanced specialized talents capable of engaging in ecological education and research, ecological and environmental protection, natural resource development and management, ecological planning and assessment, biodiversity conservation, and regional ecological restoration and construction, among other related scientific research and management tasks.

This program requires students to systematically study and master the basic theories, fundamental knowledge, and essential skills of ecology, possessing solid scientific thinking and certain abilities in scientific research, management, and social activities. The specific requirements are as follows:

1. Master the basic theories and fundamental knowledge of ecology including molecular, individual, population, community, ecosystem, landscape, regional, and global ecosystem levels.

2. Acquire basic methods and skills in ecological research, including field surveys, observations, and indoor experiments. Possess basic literacy in mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, remote sensing, geographic information systems, and at least one foreign language.

3. Be able to apply the basic theories and methods of ecology to explore practical problems related to ecology. Understand the academic dynamics in the field of ecology and the relevant social demands. Possess basic skills to engage in scientific research, education, and management related to ecology.

4. Maintain physical and mental health, meeting the standards for physical exercise among university students. Demonstrate a spirit of unity, cooperation, and teamwork.

Some Required Courses

Animal Biology and Lab

This course gives students a firm grasp on topics including the relationship between the evolution of animal phyla and their essential characteristics, morphology, and function; patterns of animal behavior; evolutionary theory; distribution of animal populations and their relationships with the environment.

General Ecology

Ecology is the interdisciplinary study of life. With humans occupying most of the wildlife’s natural habitat and consuming a great portion of the planet’s annual production, their influence on global ecosystems is the study focus of many ecologists.

Ecological experiments and methods

This course aims to 1) understand the fundamental approach of "observation-hypothesis-experiment-theory" in experimental ecology research; 2) to master the principles of experimental design, operational standards, data collection, and basic skills in data analysis in ecology experiments.

Plant Biology and Lab

This course aims to provide students with foundational theories, fundamental knowledge, and basic professional skills in plant biology, enabling them to grasp the historical context and developmental trends of important theories and major discoveries in the field.

Evolutionary Biology

This course considers explanations for patterns of diversity and adaptation of organisms to the environment. Topics include the diversity of life, the genetics and developmental basis of evolutionary change, processes at the population level, evolution by natural selection, genetic drift, modes of speciation, long-term trends in evolution, origin of humans, and implications to biodiversity, conservation, etc.

Some Elective Courses

Molecular Ecology

This course bridges the traditional fields of wildlife ecology and biogeography to the cutting-edge advances in molecular genetics and the emerging fields of genomics and bioinformatics. Employing these powerful new tools, this course will introduce to the students the basic tools and theories of molecular ecology including understanding the hierarchy of biodiversity, reconstructing evolutionary and demographic patterns, and answering basic and applied questions associated with species adaptation, landscape ecology, invasive species, population structure, behavior, and systematic relationships.

Nature Conservation: Thoughts and Practices

The course content starts from understanding the value and goals of nature conservation, as well as the evolution of the associated philosophy and science. The objective of this course is to raise awareness and knowledge of nature conservation, guide students to recognize and understand the value of nature and biodiversity, broaden and deepen students' perspectives on conservation issues, and improve students' ability to use comprehensive knowledge to solve conservation problems. Students who take this course should develop proper attitude and knowledge on nature conservation no matter what career they carry on in future.

Avian Ecology and Conservation

This course comprises three sections: 1) ecology section, including the origin and evolution of birds, avian taxonomy, breeding ecology, migration, etc.; 2) technique section, including common field survey techniques such as point count, line transect, audio recording, etc.; 3) conservation section, including the bird distribution and diversity patterns, threatened status, conservation actions, birding activity, and implications of citizen science.

Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and Laboratory

This course highlights the anatomy of representative animals from cartilaginous fishes, bony fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, which are regarded as important roles in the evolutionary process, and emphasizes a horizontal comparison among the systems. Students taking the course should have good independent practical ability.