Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Terrestrial Biologist

🎯 Role Definition

As a Terrestrial Biologist you will conduct field‑based and desk‑based ecological research and monitoring focused on terrestrial ecosystems— including flora, fauna, habitats, invasive species and ecosystem function. You will design and implement surveys, analyse ecological data, prepare technical reports, advise on habitat mitigation and conservation planning, and collaborate across interdisciplinary teams to support environmental management decisions. This role suits someone who thrives in outdoor settings, possesses strong analytical and communication skills, and is committed to maintaining high scientific and regulatory standards.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Field Biologist – Terrestrial Surveys
Vegetation Ecologist or Wildlife Technician
Environmental Science Graduate – Terrestrial Ecology

Advancement To:

Senior Terrestrial Biologist / Ecologist
Terrestrial Ecology Team Lead / Project Manager
Principal Scientist – Terrestrial Ecosystem Services

Lateral Moves:

Conservation Planner – Terrestrial & Habitat Restoration
Environmental Consultant – Terrestrial Impacts & Permitting
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist – Terrestrial Ecology

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Plan, conduct and manage terrestrial ecosystem and habitat surveys, including vegetation mapping, wildlife and species‑at‑risk inventories, and habitat condition assessments according to established protocols.
Collect and analyse biological and environmental field data, such as plant and animal abundance, distribution, site characteristics, soil and substrate conditions, and perform trend interpretation across terrestrial systems.
Develop, review and implement habitat management, restoration or species conservation plans for terrestrial ecosystems, recommending best practices to restore or maintain native flora and fauna.
Perform invasive species monitoring and mitigation in terrestrial habitats, design control measures, coordinate with stakeholders and document outcomes.
Prepare, review and deliver technical reports, impact assessments, ecological land classification evaluations, monitoring summaries and mitigation plans in compliance with regulatory requirements.
Utilise GIS, remote sensing, spatial modelling and terrain analysis tools to map terrestrial habitats, species distributions, land‑use impacts and support decision making.
Collaborate with clients, contractors, regulatory agencies, Indigenous groups, landowners and other stakeholders to ensure terrestrial ecology work meets permitting, compliance and project delivery requirements.
Manage field‑based operations including scheduling, equipment preparation, logistics of remote or rugged terrain access, safety planning, sampling protocols and documentation of field activities.
Ensure all field work and laboratory analyses follow health & safety standards, environmental compliance, quality assurance protocols and data integrity practices.
Supervise, mentor or train junior biologists, field technicians or interns in terrestrial ecology methods, data collection procedures and best field practices.
Maintain and update terrestrial ecological data management systems, ensure accurate field logs, sample tracking, metadata capture, database entries and archival of project files.
Identify and evaluate ecological risks related to terrestrial construction, development or resource‑use projects and provide mitigation strategies aligned with conservation goals and regulatory requirements.
Stay current with scientific literature, emerging methodologies in terrestrial ecology, ecosystem restoration, species recovery and incorporate new approaches in field and analytical work.
Participate in budget tracking, project costing, proposal development, client reporting, invoice preparation and resource allocation for terrestrial ecology projects.
Lead or assist in monitoring and evaluation of ecological restoration or mitigation measures—collect post‑project data, evaluate success metrics and recommend refinements for continual improvement.
Design and conduct experiments or pilot projects in terrestrial habitats to test restoration techniques, biological responses or impact of management interventions.
Communicate findings effectively through presentations, stakeholder briefings, client meetings, and scientific publications or conference posters, translating technical results into actionable recommendations.
Develop and maintain strong interdisciplinary working relationships with engineering, infrastructure, land‑use planning, environmental science and policy teams to integrate ecological considerations into project design.
Participate in public outreach, education programmes, community engagement or habitat awareness initiatives to promote terrestrial ecosystem conservation and biodiversity stewardship.
Support secondary data‑driven tasks such as ad‑hoc ecological modelling, data‑visualisation dashboards, exploratory analyses of terrestrial datasets to inform strategic planning and research direction.

Secondary Functions

Support ad‑hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis of ecological or terrestrial monitoring datasets to inform decision‑making.
Contribute to the organisation’s terrestrial ecology strategy and roadmap, recommending improvements to monitoring platforms, data management systems or restoration frameworks.
Collaborate with engineering or product development teams to translate terrestrial ecology insights into land‑use or infrastructure requirements and participate in agile or project planning processes when relevant.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven experience designing and conducting terrestrial ecological surveys, habitat assessments and species monitoring in field settings.
Competence with GIS, remote sensing, spatial analysis tools and terrain mapping methodologies.
Proficiency in collecting, managing and analysing ecological field data, including statistical evaluation, trend detection and reporting.
Strong technical writing skills for preparation of impact assessments, ecological reports, scientific documents and regulatory submissions.
Knowledge of habitat restoration design, invasive species control, ecological mitigation, species‑at‑risk legislation and associated permitting frameworks.
Experience with field logistics in remote and rugged conditions, use of field equipment, sample collection protocols and safety practices.
Familiarity with environmental policy, regulatory ecology, permitting processes, biodiversity legislation and land‑use planning frameworks.
Ability to manage databases, metadata, data quality assurance, sample tracking and archival of terrestrial ecology project files.
Capability to develop management plans, restoration monitoring frameworks, pilot studies and assess ecological outcomes over time.
Skilled in stakeholder engagement, client coordination, interdisciplinary collaboration, and translating technical ecological findings into business or infrastructure recommendations.

Soft Skills

Excellent oral and written communication: able to articulate complex ecological data, recommendations and scientific insights to diverse audiences including technical staff, land‑owners and regulators.
Strong organisational and project‑management ability: capable of coordinating field schedules, team resources, deliverables, budgets and reporting obligations.
Attention to detail and precision: essential when recording field observations, managing data integrity, documentation and ensuring compliance.
Analytical mindset and problem‑solving orientation: able to interpret data, identify ecological issues, propose solutions and drive implementation.
Team‑player and collaborative orientation: comfortable working with multi‑disciplinary teams including ecology, engineering, planning and community stakeholders.
Adaptability and flexibility: willing to perform field work, travel to remote sites, adapt to changing terrain, weather conditions and project requirements.
Leadership and mentorship capability: able to guide junior staff, foster scientific and safety best‑practices and cultivate team development.
Integrity and ethical professionalism: committed to high standards of ecological science, conservation ethics, stakeholder respect and regulatory compliance.
Strategic thinking: able to align terrestrial ecology work with organisational goals, conservation strategy and long‑term ecosystem outcomes.
Lifelong learner: eager to stay current with advances in ecology, restoration science, data‑analytics and technology to enhance terrestrial biology practice.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Wildlife Science or a related discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Terrestrial Ecology, Conservation Biology, Environmental Science or a related field; additional certification in GIS or habitat restoration preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Terrestrial Ecology
Biology
Environmental Science
Wildlife Science
Conservation Biology
Ecology & Restoration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2‑5 years of professional experience in field ecology, terrestrial habitat assessment, species monitoring or ecosystem restoration.

Preferred:

5+ years of experience, proven track record in terrestrial ecology projects, project leadership, technical document authorship, client/regulator liaison and advanced ecology methods.