Wildlife-Environmental Research Group

Ecological Management Group can undertake a variety of focused wildlife research activities involving individual species or ecological communities. The company prides itself on using integrative scientific techniques to produce accurate and reliable reports or publications in answer to specific wildlife or environmental topics and management concerns.. Research staff in Ecological Management Group have undertaken a wide variety of scientific research projects in Irish, UK and wider European contexts that has included work on species such as otter, badger, mink, pine marten, seals, ungulates, red fox, small mammals, wolf, European rabbit, Irish hare, owls and others.

Delivery Mechanisms (outlined below) for our scientific research service are provided through an integrated hierarchical system promoting complete wildlife research programs from instigation and analysis to research publication.


Project initiation, quality assurance and statistical integrity

Ecological Management Group considers this integral to the successful outcome of research projects. Our activities prior to undertaking direct wildlife research projects incorporate:

  • Implementation of informed and accepted research method(s).
  • Validating specified methods for specific research projects.
  • Ensuring statistical robustness in project design.
  • Application of appropriate and advanced statistical techniques to provide accurate and specific research outcomes accounting for the specificities of research projects.
  • Instigation of systematic and regular quality assurance mechanisms within projects to ensure specific targets are being met on time and to a high standard.

Ecological Surveys

Research scientists in Ecological Management Group and our associates have a broad based and diverse array of experience in ecological surveys in Irish, UK and wider European contexts. The following surveys can be carried out by our research professionals as either complete studies or integrated as part of larger wildlife or environmental research projects:

  • Habitat classification surveys (in accordance with JNCC procedures e.g. Phase 1).
  • Field boundary delimitation, audit and classification.
  • Distribution and abundance of native and non-native faunal species in the environment including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and others.
  • Freshwater ecological bio-monitoring surveys including implementation of BWMP and ASPT protocols, habitat surveys and associated activities.
  • Targeted and focused research on species of conservation or management concern in terrestrial and aquatic systems over short, medium and long temporal scales.


Direct Wildlife Research Activities

The following are core functions that can be undertaken directly related to wildlife populations:

  • Trapping (cage, net, wire) a range of wildlife species for scientific research purposes including tagging, genetic sampling and density estimation.
  • Application of Radio-Tracking techniques to investigate a range of ecological parameters including home range, dispersal, habitat selection, activity budgets and survival in all terrain types.
  • Assessing animal Population Density at different spatial scales using a varietyof techniques that include spotlight counts, capture-mark-recapture, indirect sign indexes and sighting rates.
  • Dietary Analysis of terrestrial, freshwater and marine species.
  • Large scale Distribution Surveys using validated methods.

Application of GIS models and analyses

GIS based analyses are integral to modern-day ecological studies. Ecological Management Group scientists provide the following competencies in GIS that extend the abilities of our wildlife research programs:

  • Spatial analyses and modelling.
  • Landscape building including DEM creation and validation.
  • Geo-referencing and image interpretation.
  • Map digitisation.
  • Establishing long term landscape GIS datasets.
  • Integrated study design procedures.
  • Spatial database integration.
  • Habitat composition and monitoring analyses.

Database integration and management


As necessary detailed, sophisticated and reliable databases can be provided and/or managed by Ecological Management Group to support research outcomes and management objectives. We provide the following database services, as part of research projects or as standalone initiatives:

  • Creation and management of research and environmental databases for short, medium and long-term data collection.
  • Promotion and implementation of centralised data collection and management based systems.
  • Strategic development of essential monitoring mechanisms for wildlife and the environment via integrated database management applications.
  • Provide audits and identification methods on how database creation can be facilitated to achieve conservation and management goals or targets.