Dr Matthew Luskin
Senior Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow
School of the Environment
Ecological Cascades Lab
Researcher biography
Dr Matthew Scott Luskin and his Ecological Cascades Lab examine food web ecology, plant–animal interactions, and applied conservation science, with a focus on tropical forest communities in South-East Asia. Key research questions include ecological cascades from fragmentation, agriculture, hunting, invasive species and climate-mediated changes to forest phenology.
Before joining The University of Queensland, Matthew worked with the Smithsonian’s Forest Global Observatory (ForestGEO) to coordinate surveys of wildlife communities across Sumatra, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand. These projects link apex predators to herbivores to trees and have revealed how oil palm expansion has restructured ecological communities and triggered trophic cascades.
Matthew obtained his PhD in Environmental Science, Policy and Management from the University of California, Berkeley.
Book Chapter
Luskin, Matthew Scott and Ke, Alison (2018). Bearded pig Sus barbatus (Müller, 1838). Ecology, conservation and management of wild pigs and peccaries. (pp. 175-183) edited by Mario Melletti and Erik Meijaard. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/9781316941232.020
Journal Articles
Mendes, Calebe P., Albert, Wido R., Amir, Zachary, Ancrenaz, Marc, Ash, Eric, Azhar, Badrul, Bernard, Henry, Brodie, Jedediah, Bruce, Tom, Carr, Elliot, Clements, Gopalasamy Reuben, Davies, Glyn, Deere, Nicolas J., Dinata, Yoan, Donnelly, Christl A., Duangchantrasiri, Somphot, Fredriksson, Gabriella, Goossens, Benoit, Granados, Alys, Hearn, Andrew, Hon, Jason, Hughes, Tom, Jansen, Patrick, Kawanishi, Kae, Kinnaird, Margaret, Koh, Sharon, Latinne, Alice, Linkie, Matthew, Loi, Federica ... Luskin, Matthew Scott (2024). CamTrapAsia: A dataset of tropical forest vertebrate communities from 239 camera trapping studies. Ecology. doi: 10.1002/ecy.4299
Brodie, Jedediah F., Mohd-Azlan, Jayasilan, Chen, Cheng, Wearn, Oliver R., Deith, Mairin C. M., Ball, James G. C., Slade, Eleanor M., Burslem, David F. R. P., Teoh, Shu Woan, Williams, Peter J., Nguyen, An, Moore, Jonathan H., Goetz, Scott J., Burns, Patrick, Jantz, Patrick, Hakkenberg, Christopher R., Kaszta, Zaneta M., Cushman, Sam, Coomes, David, Helmy, Olga E., Reynolds, Glen, Rodríguez, Jon Paul, Jetz, Walter and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2024). Author Correction: Landscape-scale benefits of protected areas for tropical biodiversity. Nature, 628 (8009), E5-E5. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07333-z
Burton, A. Cole, Beirne, Christopher, Gaynor, Kaitlyn M., Sun, Catherine, Granados, Alys, Allen, Maximilian L., Alston, Jesse M., Alvarenga, Guilherme C., Calderón, Francisco Samuel Álvarez, Amir, Zachary, Anhalt-Depies, Christine, Appel, Cara, Arroyo-Arce, Stephanny, Balme, Guy, Bar-Massada, Avi, Barcelos, Daniele, Barr, Evan, Barthelmess, Erika L., Baruzzi, Carolina, Basak, Sayantani M., Beenaerts, Natalie, Belmaker, Jonathan, Belova, Olgirda, Bezarević, Branko, Bird, Tori, Bogan, Daniel A., Bogdanović, Neda, Boyce, Andy, Boyce, Mark ... Kays, Roland (2024). Mammal responses to global changes in human activity vary by trophic group and landscape. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s41559-024-02363-2
Lee, Samuel Xin Tham, Amir, Zachary, Moore, Jonathan H., Gaynor, Kaitlyn M. and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2024). Effects of human disturbances on wildlife behaviour and consequences for predator-prey overlap in Southeast Asia. Nature Communications, 15 (1) 1521, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45905-9
Mendes, Calebe P., Liu, Xiaohan, Amir, Zachary, Moore, Jonathan H. and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2024). A multi-scale synthesis of mousedeer habitat associations in Southeast Asia reveals declining abundance but few extirpations in fragments and edges. Austral Ecology, 49 (2) e13470, 1-17. doi: 10.1111/aec.13470
Brodie, Jedediah F., Mohd-Azlan, Jayasilan, Chen, Cheng, Wearn, Oliver R., Deith, Mairin C. M., Ball, James G. C., Slade, Eleanor M., Burslem, David F. R. P., Teoh, Shu Woan, Williams, Peter J., Nguyen, An, Moore, Jonathan H., Goetz, Scott J., Burns, Patrick, Jantz, Patrick, Hakkenberg, Christopher R., Kaszta, Zaneta M., Cushman, Sam, Coomes, David, Helmy, Olga E., Reynolds, Glen, Rodríguez, Jon Paul, Jetz, Walter and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2024). Publisher Correction: Landscape-scale benefits of protected areas for tropical biodiversity. Nature, 625 (7996), E28-E28. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-07007-2
Ang, Shawn B. H., Lam, Weng Ngai, Png, G. Kenny, Tan, Sylvia K. B., Lee, Benjamin P. Y.-H., Khoo, Max, Luskin, Matthew S., Wardle, David A. and Slade, Eleanor M. (2023). Isopod mouthpart traits respond to a tropical forest recovery gradient. Oecologia, 204 (1), 147-159. doi: 10.1007/s00442-023-05494-8
Bubnicki, Jakub W., Norton, Ben, Baskauf, Steven J., Bruce, Tom, Cagnacci, Francesca, Casaer, Jim, Churski, Marcin, Cromsigt, Joris P. G. M., Farra, Simone Dal, Fiderer, Christian, Forrester, Tavis D., Hendry, Heidi, Heurich, Marco, Hofmeester, Tim R., Jansen, Patrick A., Kays, Roland, Kuijper, Dries P. J., Liefting, Yorick, Linnell, John D. C., Luskin, Matthew S., Mann, Christopher, Milotic, Tanja, Newman, Peggy, Niedballa, Jürgen, Oldoni, Damiano, Ossi, Federico, Robertson, Tim, Rovero, Francesco, Rowcliffe, Marcus ... Desmet, Peter (2023). Camtrap DP: an open standard for the FAIR exchange and archiving of camera trap data. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation. doi: 10.1002/rse2.374
Luskin, Matthew Scott, Arnold, Lindsey, Sovie, Adia, Amir, Zachary, Chua, Marcus Aik Hwee, Dehaudt, Bastien, Dunn, Ashlea, Nursamsi, Ilyas, Moore, Jonathan H. and Mendes, Calebe P. (2023). Mesopredators in forest edges. Wildlife Letters, 1 (3), 107-118. doi: 10.1002/wll2.12023
Moore, Jonathan H., Gibson, Luke, Amir, Zachary, Chanthorn, Wirong, Ahmad, Abdul Hamid, Jansen, Patrick A., Mendes, Calebe P., Onuma, Manabu, Peres, Carlos A. and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2023). The rise of hyperabundant native generalists threatens both humans and nature. Biological Reviews, 98 (5), 1829-1844. doi: 10.1111/brv.12985
Thaung, Ret, Frechette, Jackson, Luskin, Matthew and Amir, Zachary (2023). Combining Camera Trap Data and Environmental Data to Estimate the Effects of Environmental Gradients on Abundance of the Asian Elephant Elephas maximus in Cambodia. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 7. doi: 10.3897/biss.7.112100
Ho, Chervil, Dehaudt, Bastien, Lee, Benjamin P. Y. H., Tan, Hui Ying Renee and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2023). Recolonizing native wildlife facilitates exotic plant invasion into Singapore's rain forests. Biotropica, 55 (5), 1033-1044. doi: 10.1111/btp.13251
Brodie, Jedediah F., Mohd-Azlan, Jayasilan, Chen, Cheng, Wearn, Oliver R., Deith, Mairin C. M., Ball, James G. C., Slade, Eleanor M., Burslem, David F. R. P., Teoh, Shu Woan, Williams, Peter J., Nguyen, An, Moore, Jonathan H., Goetz, Scott J., Burns, Patrick, Jantz, Patrick, Hakkenberg, Christopher R., Kaszta, Zaneta M., Cushman, Sam, Coomes, David, Helmy, Olga E., Reynolds, Glen, Rodríguez, Jon Paul, Jetz, Walter and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2023). Landscape-scale benefits of protected areas for tropical biodiversity. Nature, 620 (7975), 807-812. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06410-z
Nursamsi, Ilyas, Amir, Zachary, Decoeur, Henri, Moore, Jonathan H. and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2023). Sunda pangolins show inconsistent responses to disturbances across multiple scales. Wildlife Letters, 1 (2), 59-70. doi: 10.1002/wll2.12010
Honda, Arata, Amir, Zachary, Mendes, Calebe P., Moore, Jonathan H. and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2023). Binturong ecology and conservation in pristine, fragmented and degraded tropical forests—ERRATUM. Oryx, 58 (2), 1-1. doi: 10.1017/s0030605323000935
Honda, Arata, Amir, Zachary, Mendes, Calebe P., Moore, Jonathan H. and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2023). Binturong ecology and conservation in pristine, fragmented and degraded tropical forests. Oryx, 58 (2), 218-227. doi: 10.1017/s0030605322001491
Decœur, Henri, Amir, Zachary, Mendes, Calebe P., Moore, Jonathan H. and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2023). Mid-sized felids threatened by habitat degradation in Southeast Asia. Biological Conservation, 283 110103, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110103
Carr, Elliot, Amir, Zachary, Mendes, Calebe P., Moore, Jonathan H., Nursamsi, Ilyas and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2023). The highs and lows of serow (Capricornis sumatraensis): multi-scale habitat associations inform large mammal conservation strategies in the face of synergistic threats of deforestation, hunting, and climate change. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 71, 400-416. doi: 10.26107/RBZ-2023-0030
Luskin, Matthew Scott, Moore, Jonathan H., Mendes, Calebe P., Nasardin, Musalmah Bt, Onuma, Monubu and Davies, Stuart J. (2023). The mass mortality of Asia's native pigs induced by African swine fever. Wildlife Letters, 1 (1), 8-14. doi: 10.1002/wll2.12009
Negret, Pablo Jose, Luskin, Mathew Scott, Gomez-Valencia, Bibiana, Diaz-Pulido, Angelica, Romero, Luis Hernando, Restrepo, Adriana, Zaehringer, Julie G., Jones, Kendall R., Ochoa-Quintero, Jose Manuel and Mendes, Calebe Pereira (2023). Neotropical understory birds and mammals show divergent behaviour responses to human pressure. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation, 21 (2), 180-188. doi: 10.1016/j.pecon.2023.04.002
Lamperty, Therese, Chiok, Wen Xuan, Khoo, Max D. Y., Amir, Zachary, Baker, Nick, Chua, Marcus A. H., Chung, Yi Fei, Chua, Yen Kheng, Koh, Joshua J.‐M., Lee, Benjamin P. Y.‐H., Lum, Shawn K. Y., Mendes, Calebe P., Ngiam, Jonathan, ODempsey, Anthony, Png, Kenny G. C., Sophie, Adia R., Tan, Lorraine, Teo, Robert, Thomas, Noel, Tianjiao, Li, Tze‐Ming, Bryan Lim, Loo, Adrian H. B., Wardle, David A. and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2023). Rewilding in Southeast Asia: Singapore as a case study. Conservation Science and Practice, 5 (3) e12899, 1-11. doi: 10.1111/csp2.12899
Kurz, David J., Connor, Thomas, Brodie, Jedediah F., Baking, Esther L., Szeto, Sabrina H., Hearn, Andrew J., Gardner, Penny C., Wearn, Oliver R., Deith, Mairin C. M., Deere, Nicolas J., Ampeng, Ahmad, Bernard, Henry, Goon, Jocelyn, Granados, Alys, Helmy, Olga, Lim, Hong-Ye, Luskin, Matthew Scott, Macdonald, David W., Ross, Joanna, Simpson, Boyd K., Struebig, Matthew J., Mohd-Azlan, Jayasilan, Potts, Matthew D., Goossens, Benoit and Brashares, Justin S. (2023). Socio-ecological factors shape the distribution of a cultural keystone species in Malaysian Borneo. npj Biodiversity, 2 (1) 4. doi: 10.1038/s44185-022-00008-w
Hendry, Alexander, Amir, Zachary, Decoeur, Henri, Mendes, Calebe Pereira, Moore, Jonathan H., Sovie, Adia and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2023). Marbled cats in Southeast Asia: Are diurnal and semi‐arboreal felids at greater risk from human disturbances?. Ecosphere, 14 (1) e4338, 1-15. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4338
Amir, Zachary, Sovie, Adia and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2022). Inferring predator–prey interactions from camera traps: a Bayesian co‐abundance modeling approach. Ecology and Evolution, 12 (12) e9627, e9627. doi: 10.1002/ece3.9627
Amir, Zachary, Moore, Jonathan H., Negret, Pablo Jose and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2022). Megafauna extinctions produce idiosyncratic Anthropocene assemblages. Science Advances, 8 (42) eabq2307, 1-11. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abq2307
Dunn, Ashlea, Amir, Zachary, Decoeur, Henri, Dehaudt, Bastien, Nursamsi, Ilyas, Mendes, Calebe, Moore, Jonathan H., Negret, Pablo Jose, Sovie, Adia and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2022). The ecology of the banded civet (Hemigalus derbyanus) in Southeast Asia with implications for mesopredator release, zoonotic diseases, and conservation. Ecology and Evolution, 12 (5) e8852, e8852. doi: 10.1002/ece3.8852
Dehaudt, Bastien, Amir, Zachary, Decoeur, Henri, Gibson, Luke, Mendes, Calebe, Moore, Jonathan H., Nursamsi, Ilyas, Sovie, Adia and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2022). Common palm civets Paradoxurus hermaphroditus are positively associated with humans and forest degradation with implications for seed dispersal and zoonotic diseases. Journal of Animal Ecology, 91 (4), 794-804. doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.13663
Austin, Kemen G, Heilmayr, Robert, Benedict, Jason J, Burns, David N, Eggen, Michael, Grantham, Hedley, Greenbury, Aida, Hill, Jane K, Jenkins, Clinton N, Luskin, Matthew S, Manurung, Timer, Rasmussen, Laura V, Rosoman, Grant, Rudorff, Bernardo, Satar, Musnanda, Smith, Charlotte and Carlson, Kimberly M (2021). Mapping and monitoring zero-deforestation commitments. BioScience, 71 (10), 1079-1090. doi: 10.1093/biosci/biab082
Kurz, David J., Saikim, Fiffy Hanisdah, Justine, Vanielie Terrence, Bloem, Jordan, Libassi, Matthew, Luskin, Matthew Scott, Withey, Lauren S., Goossens, Benoît, Brashares, Justin S. and Potts, Matthew D. (2021). Transformation and endurance of Indigenous hunting: Kadazandusun‐Murut bearded pig hunting practices amidst oil palm expansion and urbanization in Sabah, Malaysia. People and Nature, 3 (5) pan3.10250, 1-15. doi: 10.1002/pan3.10250
Chong, Kwek Yan, Corlett, Richard T., Nuñez, Martin A., Chiu, Jing Hua, Courchamp, Franck, Dawson, Wayne, Kuebbing, Sara, Liebhold, Andrew M., Padmanaba, Michael, Souza, Lara, Andersen, Kelly M., Fei, Songlin, Lee, Benjamin P.Y.-H., Lum, Shawn, Luskin, Matthew S., Ngo, Kang Min and Wardle, David A. (2021). Are terrestrial biological invasions different in the tropics?. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 52 (1), 291-314. doi: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012021-095454
Williams, Peter Jeffrey, Ong, Robert C., Brodie, Jedediah F. and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2021). Fungi and insects compensate for lost vertebrate seed predation in an experimentally defaunated tropical forest. Nature Communications, 12 (1) 1650. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21978-8
Luskin, Matthew Scott, Johnson, Daniel J., Ickes, Kalan, Yao, Tze Leong and Davies, Stuart J. (2021). Wildlife disturbances as a source of conspecific negative density-dependent mortality in tropical trees. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288 (1946) 20210001, 1-10. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0001
Davies, Stuart J., Abiem, Iveren, Abu Salim, Kamariah, Aguilar, Salomón, Allen, David, Alonso, Alfonso, Anderson-Teixeira, Kristina, Andrade, Ana, Arellano, Gabriel, Ashton, Peter S., Baker, Patrick J., Baker, Matthew E., Baltzer, Jennifer L., Basset, Yves, Bissiengou, Pulchérie, Bohlman, Stephanie, Bourg, Norman A., Brockelman, Warren Y., Bunyavejchewin, Sarayudh, Burslem, David F.R.P., Cao, Min, Cárdenas, Dairon, Chang, Li-Wan, Chang-Yang, Chia-Hao, Chao, Kuo-Jung, Chao, Wei-Chun, Chapman, Hazel, Chen, Yu-Yun, Chisholm, Ryan A. ... Zuleta, Daniel (2021). ForestGEO: understanding forest diversity and dynamics through a global observatory network. Biological Conservation, 253 108907, 1-24. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108907
Annapragada, A., Brook, C. E., Luskin, M. S., Rahariniaina, R. P., Helin, M., Razafinarivo, O., Ambinintsoa Ralaiarison, R., Randriamady, H. J., Olson, L. E., Goodman, S. M. and Golden, C. D. (2021). Evaluation of tenrec population viability and potential sustainable management under hunting pressure in northeastern Madagascar. Animal Conservation, 24 (6) acv.12714, 1059-1070. doi: 10.1111/acv.12714
Song, Xiaoyang, Lim, Jun Ying, Yang, Jie and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2020). When do Janzen–Connell effects matter? A phylogenetic meta‐analysis of conspecific negative distance and density dependence experiments. Ecology Letters, 24 (3) ele.13665, 608-620. doi: 10.1111/ele.13665
Luskin, Matthew Scott, Meijaard, Erik, Surya, Selly, Sheherazade, , Walzer, Chris and Linkie, Matthew (2020). African Swine Fever threatens Southeast Asia's 11 endemic wild pig species. Conservation Letters, 14 (3) e12784, 1-11. doi: 10.1111/conl.12784
Luskin, Matthew Scott, Ickes, Kalan, Yao, Tze Leong and Davies, Stuart J. (2019). Wildlife differentially affect tree and liana regeneration in a tropical forest: an 18-year study of experimental terrestrial defaunation versus artificially abundant herbivores. Journal of Applied Ecology, 56 (6), 1379-1388. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.13378
Coleman, J. L., Ascher, J. S., Bickford, D., Buchori, D., Cabanban, A., Chisholm, R. A., Chong, K. Y., Christie, P., Clements, G. R., dela Cruz, T. E.E., Dressler, W., Edwards, D. P., Francis, C. M., Friess, D. A., Giam, X., Gibson, L., Huang, D., Hughes, A. C., Jaafar, Z., Jain, A., Koh, L. P., Kudavidanage, E. P., Lee, B. P.Y.H., Lee, J., Lee, T. M., Leggett, M., Leimona, B., Linkie, M., Luskin, M. ... Carrasco, L. R. (2019). Top 100 research questions for biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia. Biological Conservation, 234, 211-220. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2019.03.028
Ke, Alison and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2019). Integrating disparate occurrence reports to map data-poor species ranges and occupancy: a case study of the vulnerable bearded pig Sus barbatus. Oryx, 53 (2), 377-387. doi: 10.1017/S0030605317000382
Jia, Shihong, Wang, Xugao, Yuan, Zuoqiang, Lin, Fei, Ye, Ji, Hao, Zhanqing and Luskin, Matthew Scott (2018). Global signal of top-down control of terrestrial plant communities by herbivores. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115 (24), 6237-6242. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1707984115
Luskin, Matthew Scott, Lee, Janice S.H., Edwards, David P., Gibson, Luke and Potts, Matthew D. (2018). Study context shapes recommendations of land-sparing and sharing; a quantitative review. Global Food Security, 16, 29-35. doi: 10.1016/j.gfs.2017.08.002
Luskin, Matthew Scott, Albert, Wido Rizki and Tobler, Mathias W. (2018). Erratum: Publisher Correction: Sumatran tiger survival threatened by deforestation despite increasing densities in parks (Nature communications (2017) 8 1 (1783)). Nature Communications, 9 (1) 687, 687. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-03055-9
Luskin, Matthew Scott, Brashares, Justin S., Ickes, Kalan, Sun, I-Fang, Fletcher, Christine, Wright, S. Joseph and Potts, Matthew D. (2017). Cross-boundary subsidy cascades from oil palm degrade distant tropical forests. Nature Communications, 8 (1) 2231, 2231. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-01920-7
Luskin, Matthew Scott, Albert, Wido Rizki and Tobler, Mathias W. (2017). Sumatran tiger survival threatened by deforestation despite increasing densities in parks. Nature Communications, 8 (1) 1783, 1783. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-01656-4
Hudson, Lawrence N., Newbold, Tim, Contu, Sara, Hill, Samantha L. L., Lysenko, Igor, De Palma, Adriana, Phillips, Helen R. P., Alhusseini, Tamera I., Bedford, Felicity E., Bennett, Dominic J., Booth, Hollie, Burton, Victoria J., Chng, Charlotte W. T., Choimes, Argyrios, Correia, David L. P., Day, Julie, Echeverria-Londono, Susy, Emerson, Susan R., Gao, Di, Garon, Morgan, Harrison, Michelle L. K., Ingram, Daniel J., Jung, Martin, Kemp, Victoria, Kirkpatrick, Lucinda, Martin, Callum D., Pan, Yuan, Pask-Hale, Gwilym D., Pynegar, Edwin L. ... Purvis, Andy (2017). The database of the PREDICTS (projecting responses of ecological diversity in changing terrestrial systems) project. Ecology and Evolution, 7 (1), 145-188. doi: 10.1002/ece3.2579
Harrison, Rhett D., Sreekar, Rachakonda, Brodie, Jedediah F., Brook, Sarah, Luskin, Matthew, O'Kelly, Hannah, Rao, Madhu, Scheffers, Brett and Velho, Nandini (2016). Impacts of hunting on tropical forests in Southeast Asia. Conservation Biology, 30 (5), 972-981. doi: 10.1111/cobi.12785
Luskin, M. S., Christina, E. D., Kelley, L. C. and Potts, M. D. (2014). Modern hunting practices and wild meat trade in the oil palm plantation-dominated landscapes of Sumatra, Indonesia. Human Ecology, 42 (1), 35-45. doi: 10.1007/s10745-013-9606-8
Luskin, Matthew Scott and Potts, Matthew D. (2011). Microclimate and habitat heterogeneity through the oil palm lifecycle. Basic and Applied Ecology, 12 (6), 540-551. doi: 10.1016/j.baae.2011.06.004
Luskin, Matthew Scott (2010). Flying foxes prefer to forage in farmland in a tropical dry forest landscape mosaic in Fiji. Biotropica, 42 (2), 246-250. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00577.x