This research theme focuses on the interactions between organisms and their environment at physiological, behavioural, population, community, landscape and ecosystem scales, studied through field experiments, quantitative analysis and molecular tools. Applications include wildlife conservation and pest management in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

UQ has several researchers investigating ecophysiology and behavioural ecology; how organisms cope with different sorts of physiological stress and interact with each other. The abundance and variety of spatial data, and increased computational power, has enabled quantitative ecologists to provide regional scale advice on landscape management and monitoring. The Ecology Centre is a Faculty Centre that creates linkages between ecologists from different schools and faculties within the University. Ecologists at UQ have a diverse suite of industrial, Non-Government Organisation (NGO) and government links.