Many of the applied ecology faculty conduct research in ecology, evolutionary biology, and\/or conservation biology \u2014 three fields that have a tremendous amount of overlap. Some of the critical issues addressed include the habitat requirements of different populations; factors important to movement, growth, reproduction, and mortality; and interactions among species. Ecosystems studied include marine waters, coastal estuaries, rivers, lakes, forests, and deserts; and techniques applied range from genetic analyses to behavioral observations to modeling of population dynamics. Many faculty research programs also look to apply their findings to better manage species and ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n