About the Department of Ecological, Plant and Animal Sciences
The Department of Ecological, Plant and Animal Sciences unites scientists working across agriculture and ecology.
We are dedicated to addressing the Earth’s food production needs within the context of sustaining biodiversity and natural habitats.
Our Department is part of the School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment.
We offer undergraduate and postgraduate education programs in Agriculture, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Biological Science, Plant Sciences, and Wildlife and Conservation Biology.
Our goal is to produce graduates who have the knowledge, skills and passion to address real world challenges related to sustainable food production, the biodiversity crisis and the wellbeing of humans and the species that we share the planet with.
We strive to ensure that our graduates are critical thinkers, innovators and ethical professionals who can make a positive impact on our world.
Our academic staff are research leaders who produce high impact outcomes. They are working to enhance sustainable agriculture, promote environmental stewardship and the conservation of biodiversity, and drive innovation nationally and internationally.
Our Department is co-located with Agriculture Victoria in AgriBio, one of Australia’s premier agribioscience facilities. We are based at La Trobe's Melbourne (Bundoora) and Albury-Wodonga campuses.
Find out more about our Statement of Strategic Intent.
Our teaching is grounded in empirical enquiry and asks fundamental and applied questions. Our students get the best balance of practical skills and theoretical knowledge so that they can graduate with confidence.
Education for the real world
Whether you are wanting to become a wildlife biologist, an ecological consultant, agronomist or animal health officer, a La Trobe degree is the gateway to a rewarding career.
Our students benefit from our flexible approach to teaching that allows them, where possible, to engage in learning at a time and place of their choosing. We offer on-campus, online and hybrid learning opportunities across a range of courses.
Hands-on learning is central to the way we teach. We run multiple field courses across Victoria to understand the unique plants and animals that inhabit these areas, as well as the challenges and opportunities associated with agricultural land use. Our students also have access to superb natural habitats in La Trobe's Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary.
Our laboratory facilities ensure that students are exposed to the latest approaches in agriculture and veterinary bioscience. The practical skills developed by our students are highly valued by employers in the natural resource and agricultural sectors.
We also offer Honours and Higher Degree by Research programs, where students work on a range of projects spanning fundamental science to industry-specific challenges.
The result: Our graduates are knowledgeable, agile and ready to make a difference to the health and wellbeing of animals, plants and the environment.
Find out more about our courses and our distinctive student experience.
Research with impact
Our staff undertake research that spans the fundamental to the highly applied, with strengths in plant biology, plant energy metabolism, cell wall biology, medicinal agriculture, soil science agronomy, animal immunology health and disease, evolutionary biology, environmental change agri-ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems.
Our researchers are world class. We are rated well above world standard in ecology, evolutionary biology, plant biology, soil sciences, animal production, crop and pasture production and veterinary sciences in the Australian Research Council’s Excellence in Research for Australia.
And, we contribute to the ‘well above world standard’ rating in biochemistry and cell biology and ecological applications.
Our Department has over 100 postgraduate students, many of whom are embedded in the La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food, our prestigious research centres – the Centre for Freshwater Ecolosystems, the Research Centre for Applied Alpine Ecology and the Research Centre for Future Landscapes – or work with collaborators in Australia and abroad.
Our researchers are also members of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space and the ARC Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture.
Our research aligns with La Trobe University's research themes: Sustainable food and agriculture, Resilient environments and communities and Understanding and preventing disease.
Our research is grouped into eight key areas:
Our researchers examine the consequences of landscape change to develop new solutions, tools and approaches to the challenge of conserving nature in regional and rural landscapes.
Our researchers are strengthening food security and agricultural sustainability by studying crops such as legumes and wheat.
Our researchers explore animal reproduction and physiology, with a focus on endangered species, anthropogenic disturbance, captive breeding and the success of reintroduction.
Our researchers study animal and plant biosecurity in Australia, with a focus on protecting the country's agriculture and environment.
Our researchers quantify how environmental changes impact how animals, plants and ecosystems ‘work’ in the face of rapid climate transformation, changing fire regimes and the spread of invasive species.
Our researchers examine the evolution of diversity, and the ecological and evolutionary consequences of the interactions between plants and animals.
Our researchers seek to understand and solve significant challenges to support the sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems.
Our researchers are enhancing our molecular understanding of crop growth and yield in various agricultural contexts, as well as studying biological diversity and its conservation.
To find out more about our individual research groups, please take a look at our research booklet.
Research Centres and Institute
Our staff make key contributions to La Trobe's research centres and the La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food.
The Centre for Freshwater Ecosystems brings together a wealth of expertise in freshwater science and water management to understand and help solve the significant challenges in sustaining healthy freshwater ecosystems.
Find out more about the Centre.
The La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food specialises in research on seed production, food and health. It fosters collaboration between agri-food and health sectors to promote emerging technologies and research, creating an innovative, multidisciplinary environment. The Institute also focuses on training a skilled workforce and promoting sustainable agricultural production systems.
Find out more about the Institute.
The Reseach Centre for Applied Alpine Ecology specialises in all aspects of the ecology of alpine and sub-alpine landscapes in Australia including ecological processes, rare and endangered species conservation, effects of fire, exotic plants and animals, human activities, and the management of these ecosystems in response to climate change.
Find out more about the Centre.
The Research Centre for Future Landscapes generates knowledge and solutions that address the global challenge of sustaining and restoring natural ecosystems in modified landscapes, and empowering people and communities to create more sustainable landscapes.
Find out more about the Centre.