The objective of the doctoral program in “Ecology, Conservation and Restoration of Ecosystems” is to train researchers in the broad field of ecology science, both theoretical and experimental and applied. The scientific profile of the professors involved in the program and its research lines not only cover a good part of the spectrum of knowledge corresponding to this science at all scales of analysis (populations, communities, ecosystems, landscapes, regions, biomes and scale). global), especially in regard to terrestrial ecosystems (including continental and coastal aquatic), but also extends to applied and interphase areas with other related disciplines such as conservation biology, forest engineering, or the restoration of ecosystems.
The name of the program wants to reflect the comprehensive vocation of the same, highlighting, first of all, its clear imbrication in the science of Ecology, and consequently the possibility of developing within it research on fundamental aspects of this area of scientific knowledge. And, secondly, to emphasize also the implication and interest of the doctorate for the applied aspects that can be derived from the ecological investigations, in particular those related to the preservation of biodiversity and the recovery and regeneration of degraded ecosystems.
The scientific interest of these issues is well reflected in the growing volume of publications that deal with them. A search in Web of Knowledge using the key topics that give name to our doctoral program and focused on the last ten years, revealed, on the one hand, a global total of 74,474 articles published in international media since 2002. And, on the other hand , the vigor and strength of Spain in this scientific field. Indeed, in this period, our country has occupied the eighth place by number of publications (US: 28,699, United Kingdom: 6,829, Australia: 5,519, Canada: 5,340, Germany: 4,644, France: 4,172, China: 3,737, Spain: 3.306), and has also shown a clear tendency to increase its production (four times higher in 2011 than in 2002) and the scientific quality of it.
This growing production in the field of Ecology reveals the interest and topicality of this science and, undoubtedly, is related to the hopes that society has placed on it for its potential to address and offer solutions to environmental consequences derived from activities human In addition, national and international legislation is increasingly demanding in many aspects related to the doctorate, among them the conservation and restoration of ecosystems and the correction of environmental impacts. All this clearly illustrates the existence of an important demand for doctors trained in Ecology, capable of: (1) continuing to feed our innate curiosity to know what nature is like and how it works through its work in universities and research centers; and (2) offer practical solutions to the environmental challenges of the modern world from the academic sphere, or from the administration, companies, foundations and other non-governmental organizations involved in the conservation of biodiversity.