The Master of Ecology program aims to provide students with basic theoretical knowledge and scientific research methodologies in ecology to enable them to engage in scientific research, teaching, and management of ecology and related disciplines after graduation. The program addresses different fields of ecology, and these are plant ecology, animal ecology, aquatic ecology, restoration ecology, theoretical ecology, wetland ecology, microbial ecology, as well as environmental toxicology and health and environmental monitoring and assessment.

Plant Ecology

The Plant Ecology program features the ecology of aquatic plants and conducts research on salinity-tolerant plants in mudflats to discover the resources of these plants and address the ecological restoration of mudflats. In addition, the program also focuses on the resources and physiological ecology of both beneficial and harmful algae and the protection of mangroves.

Animal Ecology

The Animal Ecology program focuses on terrestrial amniotes and marine invertebrates by exploring the physiological and molecular mechanisms of their reproduction, growth, behaviour, energy allocation, and thermoregulation. It also explores predator-prey co-evolution, reproductive patterns, sex determination mechanisms, and the effects of climate change on species distribution and spatial patterns of ecological niches.

Aquatic Ecology

The Aquatic Ecology program focuses on the conditions of survival for aquatic organisms and the processes by which these organisms and their communities interact with the environment in bodies of water such as oceans, lakes, reservoirs, and ponds.

Restoration Ecology

The Restoration Ecology program is concerned with the restoration of the water environment, specifically, in the direction pertaining to the ecological treatment of decentralized domestic wastewater, ecological management of cyanobacterial blooms, ecological restoration of rivers, and the restoration of soil and groundwater.

Theoretical Ecology

Using ecological theory, ecological modeling, and eco-statistics, the Theoretical Ecology program combines differential equation theory and statistical analysis of spatiotemporal data to explore biodiversity, ecosystem stability, food webs, and species conservation for applications in combating global climate change.

Wetland Ecology

The Wetland Ecology program studies the community structure, function, ecological processes, and evolutionary patterns of various types of marsh wetland ecosystems and the mechanisms of their interaction with physicochemical factors and biological components.

Microbial Ecology

In the Microbial Ecology program, traditional and modern molecular biology methods are used to study microbial species in natural environments under normal and extreme conditions,  microbe-microbe interrelationships, microbe-plant interrelationships, and microbe-animal interrelationships. In addition, the program also focuses on the impact of microbial metabolic activities on the natural environments and the effect that changes in environmental conditions have on these metabolic activities.

Environmental Toxicology and Health

The Environmental Toxicology and Health program studies the effects of environmental pollutants on the health of individual organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems and their mechanisms.

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment program deals with the innovation of basic theories and technical methods of ecological monitoring and evaluation, the assessment of their effectiveness and potential for application in biodiversity conservation, ecosystem maintenance, and sustainable development.

Prerequisite

Bachelor's degree in ecology, biology, environmental science, physical geography, or a related field.

Degree

Master of Science