Courses in areas of specialization can be taken in graduate school to obtain M.S. and Ph. Ecologists also benefit from a broad undergraduate background that can include geology, natural resource policy, engineering, geography, computer science, and liberal arts. Ecologists work in both research positions and applied areas such as enforcement of environmental laws, forestry and range management, or restoration ecology. State governments also hire ecologists, and New Mexico offers jobs as environmental associates, specialists and scientists, environmentalists, and experts in the fields of water, air, and hazardous waste management. Local governments, such as Albuquerque's Environmental Heath Department, and environmental consulting firms also provide career opportunities.
Universities are great places to conduct ecological research and to inspire new students.
Studies of long-term ecological changes include two sites in New Mexico that are part of a national network funded by the National Science Foundation. NMSU's Jornada site near Las Cruces explores the causes of desertification in semi-arid lands. UNM's Sevilleta site near Socorro encompasses themes of biodiversity, the role of water in ecosystem processes, carbon cycling, land use and the effects of climate change. Deborah Ulinski Potter, Research Assistant Professor of Biology, is taking samples along the stream to determine whether the water quality meets state standards.