The EEB program combines field studies with biogeographic, computational, molecular, statistical, and theoretical approaches to gain an understanding of the ecology, evolution, and conservation of populations, communities, and ecosystems. Students’ research opportunities are enriched by the University’s partnerships with local institutions. Tyson Research Center, the environmental field station of Washington University in St. Louis, provides opportunities for field studies in local aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The Missouri Botanical Garden conducts systematic studies of plant diversity worldwide. The Saint Louis Zoo facilitates studies of the conservation biology of animals. Our faculty and students also conduct studies on a global scale at field sites in Africa, Asia, and South America.

Research in the program cuts across scales of biological organization, from genes to ecosystems. Study systems include model organisms such as Dictyostelium and Drosophila, agricultural species, human populations, and various natural plant and animal populations and communities spanning temperate and tropical ecosystems.