First-year Cohort Field Trip 2007: Angelo Coast Range Reserve (First Row L-R: A. Perkins, M. McGee, S. McCauley, G. Lee, C. Martin. Second Row R-L: S. Dalrymple, A. Lemmon, E. Lemmon, D. Grosenbacher, M. Afkhami, C. Boettiger.)
Population biology is an interdisciplinary field that uses concepts and techniques from ecology, evolution, systematics, genetics, and mathematics or statistics. We often work near the interface between ecology, the study of interactions between organisms and their environment, and evolutionary biology, which aims to understand how populations and species evolve. Our research is often directed towards basic science but also often addresses applied problems such as overcrowding, invasive species, and extinction.
Areas of specialization include population growth, structure and dynamics (basic and applied); population interactions (competition, predation, parasitism, and mutualism); community ecology; food webs; biogeography; behavioral and physiological ecology; life history strategies; systematics; evolution; population and quantitative genetics; and genomics. We encourage intellectual independence of students and the creativity that it encourages.
David Begun, Chair
In the news:
* 07/2011: Maureen Stanton named vice provost of Academic Affairs.
* 05/2011: Lifetime Achievement Awards: Thomas W. Schoener: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists awards Dr. Schoener the Henry S. Fitch Award for Excellence in Herpetology.
* 04/2011: Grad Student, Christopher Martin: Trophic Novelty is Linked to Exceptional Rates of Morphological Diversification in Two Adaptive Radiations of Cyprinodon Pupfish
* 04/2011: Jay A. Rosenheim receives the 2010-2011 Distinguished Teaching in Undergraduate Education Award from the UC Davis Academic Senate.
* 01/2011: Thomas W. Schoener: The Newest Synthesis: Understanding the Interplay of Evolutionary and Ecological Dynamics
* Artyom Kopp
receives UC Davis 2010-11 Chancellor's Fellowship!
* Peter Wainwright inducted to the Academy Fellows of the California Academy of Sciences!
* Ecology/Evolutionary Biology - UC Davis Ranks No. 3 in the Nation: U.S. News Best Graduate Schools
* 04/2010: Population Biology awarded 3 NSF GRFs! Way to go Pop Bio!
* 03/2010: Rick Grosberg wins 2010 UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement.
* 04/2009: Population Biology awarded 6 NSF GRFs! Way to go Pop Bio!
* Recent graduate, Maureen Ryan: Invasive hybrid tiger salamander genotypes impact native amphibians (PNAS)
* Charles Langley named UC Davis 2009 Faculty Research Lecturer
* Artyom Kopp selected as 2009 Guggenheim Fellow
* Graham Coop selected as 2009 Sloan Research Fellow
* Ctr. for Pop Bio awarded prestigious NSF REACH IGERT
* Peter Wainwright receives Teaching Excellence in Biology 2008
* Brad Shaffer awarded California Fish and Game grant in support of graduate student projects benefiting the California Wildlife Action Plan
* Recent Graduate Matt Holland: "Study: Wildlife Need More complex Travel Plans" UC Davis News 10/20/08
* Professor Geerat Vermeij: "Pacific Shellfish Ready to Invade Atlantic." UC Davis News 08/04/08