Ecology is the scientific study of how organisms interact with each other and their environments. Ecological knowledge underpins our capacity to use Australia's natural wealth sustainably and is essential for solving the environmental problems that face us in a new millennium. Studies include: behavioural ecology, physiological ecology, population and community ecology, conservation ecology, landscape ecology and evolutionary ecology and mathematics. Field courses are a key feature of the study of ecology at UQ. Students gain first-hand practical experience in solving ecological problems in rainforest at Lamington National Park, outback Queensland, on the Great Barrier Reef at Heron Island, and on Stradbroke Island in Moreton Bay. More information about the Ecology Major.

Graduates specialising in ecology are employed by a wide variety of state and federal departments and agencies, including the Australian Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), in private industry as environmental officers, or in the expanding area of environmental impact assessment. Some graduates are self-employed as consultants. As we become increasingly aware of the value of ecological goods and services to humanity (estimated at $30 trillion annually), there is increasing demand for graduates with an understanding of the ecological principles of natural-resource management.