Megan Evans

Research Assistant

University of Queensland, July 2009-current

Email: m.evans1@uq.edu.au

Web: www.economical-ecology.com

Ph. +61 7 3365 2769

Blog posts & presentations by Megan

I am a conservation ecologist with broad interests in ecological sustainability, climate change and economics.

As an undergraduate I studied a dual Bachelors program in Science (Ecology) and Arts (Mathematics) at the University of Queensland, where I completed a diverse set of courses ranging from operations research, bifurcations and chaos, conservation biology and field ecology studies. I was awarded a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours from the University of Queensland in June 2009.  During my Honours year I was supervised by Prof Hugh Possingham, Dr James Watson, Dr Richard Fuller and Dr Kerrie Wilson.

I am now working as a Research Assistant where my role is primarily to undertake research into applied conservation problems through the use and development of conservation planning tools. In this capacity I am conducting a regional scale spatial prioritization analysis for conservation management in the Great Western Woodlands, Western Australia. I also provide research support in the form of data analysis, geographic information systems and conservation planning for a range of projects, and assist with supervision of student projects.

In addition to my current work, I am also developing keen interests in ecological economics, resilience theory, ecosystem services and the links between biodiversity conservation and human well-being.

Publications:

Wilson KA, Evans MC, Di Marco M, Green DC, Boitani L, Possingham HP, Chiozza F, Rondinini C. 2011. Prioritizing conservation investments for mammal species globally. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 366:2670-2680. doi:10.1098/rstb.2011.0108

Evans, M.C., Possingham H.P., Wilson K.A. 2011. Extinctions: conserve not collate. Nature 474: 284-284. doi:10.1038/474284a

Evans MC, Watson JEM, Fuller RA, Venter O, Bennett SC, Marsack PR, Possingham HP. 2011. The Spatial Distribution of Threats to Species in Australia. BioScience 61: 281-289. doi: 10.1525/bio.2011.61.4.8

Evans MC, Possingham HP, Wilson KA.  2011. What to do in the face of multiple threats? Incorporating dependencies within a return on investment framework for conservation. Diversity and Distributions. doi.10.1111/j.1472-4642.2011.00747.x

Taylor MFJ, Sattler PS, Evans MC, Fuller RA, Watson JEM, Possingham HP. 2011. What works for threatened species recovery? An empirical evaluation for Australia. Biodiversity and Conservation. doi:10.1007/s10531-010-9977-8

Watson JEM, Evans MC, Carwardine J, Fuller RA, Joseph LN, Segan DB, Taylor MFJ, Fensham R, Possingham HP. 2011. The Capacity of Australia’s Protected-Area System to Represent Threatened Species. Conservation Biology.  doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01587.x

Conference presentations:

Wilson KA, Evans MC, Di Marco M, Rondinini C, Boitani L, Chiozza F, Possingham HP & McBride MF. 2010. Prioritising conservation investments for mammal species globally. 24th International Congress for Conservation Biology, Edmonton, Canada