Researcher biography
My research falls broadly within environmental policy, governance and economics, with a particular focus on biodiversity conservation and natural resource management. I am an interdisciplinary researcher, and draw on both quantitative and qualitative methods used in the natural and social sciences. The overarching goal of my research is to get better outcomes for the environment and society through an understanding of the policy process: design, implementation and evaluation. As a postdoc, I worked as part of the National Environmental Science Program's Threatened Species Recovery Hub (NESP TSRH), where I investigated cost-effective and innovative biodiversity offsetting approaches for Australian threatened species.
Publications
Book Chapter
Rose, David C., Evans, Megan C. and Jarvis, Rebecca M. (2020). Effective engagement of conservation scientists with decision-makers. Conservation Research, Policy and Practice. (pp. 162-182) Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/9781108638210.010
Journal Articles
Bell‐James, Justine, Foster, Rose, Frohlich, Miguel, Archibald, Carla, Benham, Claudia, Evans, Megan, Fidelman, Pedro, Morrison, Tiffany, Rolim Baggio, Liza, Billings, Peter and Shumway, Nicole (2024). Not all conservation “policy” is created equally: When does a policy give rise to legally binding obligations?. Conservation Letters, 17 (6) e13054. doi: 10.1111/conl.13054
McDonald, Matt, Park, Susan, Anantharajah, Kirsty, Burke, Anthony, Celermajer, Danielle, Evans, Megan C., Eckersley, Robyn, Gulliver, Robyn, McNaught, Rebecca, Morgan, Wesley, Ruwet, Melodie, Symons, Jonathan, Schlosberg, David and Vogler, Anselm (2024). Ecological Crises and Ecopolitics Research in Australia. Australian Journal of Politics & History, 71 (1), 1-19. doi: 10.1111/ajph.13016
Macintosh, Andrew, Butler, Don, Larraondo, Pablo, Evans, Megan C., Ansell, Dean, Waschka, Marie, Fensham, Rod, Eldridge, David, Lindenmayer, David, Gibbons, Philip and Summerfield, Paul (2024). Australian human-induced native forest regeneration carbon offset projects have limited impact on changes in woody vegetation cover and carbon removals. Communications Earth and Environment, 5 (1) 149, 1-11. doi: 10.1038/s43247-024-01313-x
Maron, Martine, Quétier, Fabien, Sarmiento, Mariana, ten Kate, Kerry, Evans, Megan C., Bull, Joseph W., Jones, Julia P. G., zu Ermgassen, Sophus O. S. E., Milner-Gulland, E. J., Brownlie, Susie, Treweek, Jo and von Hase, Amrei (2023). ‘Nature positive’ must incorporate, not undermine, the mitigation hierarchy. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 8 (1), 14-17. doi: 10.1038/s41559-023-02199-2
Leseberg, Nicholas P., Kutt, Alex, Evans, Megan C., Nou, Tida, Spillias, Scott, Stone, Zoe, Walsh, Jessica C., Murphy, Stephen A., Bamford, Mike, Burbidge, Allan H., Crossing, Kate, Davis, Robert A., Garnett, Stephen T., Kavanagh, Rodney P., Murphy, Robert, Read, John, Reid, Julian, van Leeuwen, Stephen, Watson, Alexander W. T., Watson, James E. M. and Maron, Martine (2023). Establishing effective conservation management strategies for a poorly known endangered species: a case study using Australia’s Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis). Biodiversity and Conservation, 32 (8-9), 2869-2891. doi: 10.1007/s10531-023-02633-8
Jassim, Danya, Witt, Bradd and Evans, Megan C. (2022). Community perceptions of carbon farming: a case study of the semi-arid Mulga Lands in Queensland, Australia. Journal of Rural Studies, 96, 78-88. doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.10.010
Kujala, Heini, Maron, Martine, Kennedy, Christina M., Evans, Megan C., Bull, Joseph W., Wintle, Brendan A., Iftekhar, Sayed M., Selwood, Katherine E., Beissner, Kahli, Osborn, Dave and Gordon, Ascelin (2022). Credible biodiversity offsetting needs public national registers to confirm no net loss. One Earth, 5 (6), 650-662. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2022.05.011
Narain, Divya, Bull, Joseph W., Alikhanova, Shahzoda, Evans, Megan C., Markham, Robert and Maron, Martine (2022). A step change needed to secure a nature-positive future—Is it in reach?. One Earth, 5 (6), 589-592. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2022.05.016
Evans, Megan C. (2021). Re-conceptualizing the role(s) of science in biodiversity conservation. Environmental Conservation, 48 (3), 151-160. doi: 10.1017/S0376892921000114
Mayfield, Helen J., Brazill‐Boast, James, Gorrod, Emma, Evans, Megan C., Auld, Tony, Rhodes, Jonathan R. and Maron, Martine (2020). Estimating species response to management using an integrated process: a case study from New South Wales, Australia. Conservation Science and Practice, 2 (11) e269. doi: 10.1111/csp2.269
Maseyk, Fleur J. F., Maron, Martine, Gordon, Ascelin, Bull, Joseph W. and Evans, Megan C. (2020). Improving averted loss estimates for better biodiversity outcomes from offset exchanges. Oryx, 55 (3), 1-11. doi: 10.1017/S0030605319000528
Moon, Katie, Blackman, Deborah A., Adams, Vanessa M., Colvin, Rebecca M., Davila, Federico, Evans, Megan C., Januchowski-Hartley, Stephanie R., Bennett, Nathan J., Dickinson, Helen, Sandbrook, Chris, Sherren, Kate, St. John, Freya A. V., van Kerkhoff, Lorrae and Wyborn, Carina (2019). Expanding the role of social science in conservation through an engagement with philosophy, methodology, and methods. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 10 (3), 294-302. doi: 10.1111/2041-210X.13126
Evans, Megan C. (2018). Book review: Economics and Environmental Change: The Challenges We Face, by Clement A. Tisdell. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 62 (4), 713-715. doi: 10.1111/1467-8489.12281
Evans, Megan C. and Cvitanovic, Christopher (2018). An introduction to achieving policy impact for early career researchers. Palgrave Communications, 4 (1) 88. doi: 10.1057/s41599-018-0144-2
Evans, Megan C. (2018). Effective incentives for reforestation: lessons from Australia's carbon farming policies. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 32, 38-45. doi: 10.1016/j.cosust.2018.04.002
Reed, Sarah E., Thomas, Sarah L., Bednarek, Angela T., Dellasala, Dominick A., Evans, Megan C., Lundquist, Carolyn, Mascia, Michael B., Mcpherson, Tsitsi Y. and Watson, James E.M. (2018). Roles for scientific societies to engage with conservation policy. Conservation Biology, 32 (3), 513-515. doi: 10.1111/cobi.13092
Maron, Martine, Brownlie, Susie , Bull, Joseph W. , Evans, Megan C. , von Hase, Amrei , Quétier , Fabien , Watson, James E. M. and Gordon, Ascelin (2018). The many meanings of no net loss in environmental policy. Nature Sustainability, 1 (1), 19-27. doi: 10.1038/s41893-017-0007-7
Evans, Megan C., Davila, Federico, Toomey, Anne and Wyborn, Carina (2017). Embrace complexity to improve conservation decision making. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 1 (11), 1588-1588. doi: 10.1038/s41559-017-0345-x
Reside, April E., Beher, Jutta, Cosgrove, Anita , Evans, Megan C., Seabrook, Leonie, Silcock, Jennifer L., Wenger, Amelia S. and Maron, Martine (2017). Ecological consequences of land clearing and policy reform in Queensland. Pacific Conservation Biology, 23 (3), 219-230. doi: 10.1071/PC17001
Lindenmayer, David B., Crane, Mason, Evans, Megan C., Maron, Martine, Gibbons, Philip, Bekessy, Sarah and Blanchard, Wade (2017). The anatomy of a failed offset. Biological Conservation, 210 (A), 286-292. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2017.04.022
Martin, Nigel, Evans, Megan, Rice, John, Lodhia, Sumit and Gibbons, Philip (2016). Using offsets to mitigate environmental impacts of major projects: a stakeholder analysis. Journal of Environmental Management, 179, 58-65. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.04.054
Evans, Megan C., Tulloch, Ayesha I. T., Law, Elizabeth A., Raiter, Keren G., Possingham, Hugh P. and Wilson, Kerrie A. (2016). Better planning outcomes requires clear consideration of costs, condition and conservation benefits, and access to the best available data: reply to Gosper et al., 2016. Biological Conservation, 200, 242-243. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.06.009
Gibbons, Philip, Evans, Megan C., Maron, Martine, Ascelin, Gordon, Le Roux, Darren, von Hase, Amrei, Lindenmayer, David B. and Possingham, Hugh P. (2016). A loss-gain calculator for biodiversity offsets and the circumstances in which no net loss is feasible. Conservation Letters, 9 (4), 252-259. doi: 10.1111/conl.12206
Maron, Martine, Ives, Christopher D., Kujala, Heini, Bull, Joseph W., Maseyk, Fleur J. F., Bekessy, Sarah, Gordon, Ascelin, Watson, James E. M., Lentini, Pia E., Gibbons, Philip, Possingham, Hugh P., Hobbs, Richard J., Keith, David A., Wintle, Brendan A. and Evans, Megan C. (2016). Taming a wicked problem: resolving controversies in biodiversity offsetting. Bioscience, 66 (6), 489-498. doi: 10.1093/biosci/biw038
Evans, Megan C. (2016). Deforestation in Australia: drivers, trends and policy responses. Pacific Conservation Biology, 22 (2), 130-150. doi: 10.1071/PC15052
Evans, Megan C., Tulloch, Ayesha I.T., Law, Elizabeth A., Raiter, Keren G., Possingham, Hugh P. and Wilson, Kerrie A. (2015). Clear consideration of costs, condition and conservation benefits yields better planning outcomes. Biological Conservation, 191, 716-727. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2015.08.023
Maron, Martine, Bull, Joseph W., Evans, Megan C. and Gordon, Ascelin (2015). Locking in loss: baselines of decline in Australian biodiversity offset policies. Biological Conservation, 192, 504-512. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2015.05.017
Evans, Megan C., Carwardine, Josie, Fensham, Rod J., Butler, Don W., Wilson, Kerrie A., Possingham, Hugh P. and Martin, Tara G. (2015). Carbon farming via assisted natural regeneration as a cost-effective mechanism for restoring biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Environmental Science and Policy, 50, 114-129. doi: 10.1016/j.envsci.2015.02.003
Tulloch, Vivitskaia, Tulloch, Ayesha, Visconti, Piero, Halpern, Benjamin S., Watson, James E. M., Evans, Megan C., Auerbach, Nancy A., Barnes, Megan, Beger, Maria, Chadès, Iadine, Giakoumi, Sylvaine, McDonald-Madden, Eve, Murray, Nicholas J., Ringma, Jeremy and Possingham, Hugh P. (2015). Why do we map threats? Linking threat mapping with actions to make better conservation decisions. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 13 (2), 91-99. doi: 10.1890/140022
Miller, Katherine L., Trezise, James A., Kraus, Stefan, Dripps, Kimberley, Evans, Megan C., Gibbons, Philip, Possingham, Hugh P. and Maron, Martine (2015). The development of the Australian environmental offsets policy: from theory to practice. Environmental Conservation, 42 (4), 306-314. doi: 10.1017/S037689291400040X
Tulloch, Ayesha I. T., Tulloch, Vivitskaia J. D., Evans, Megan C. and Mills, Morena (2014). The Value of Using Feasibility Models in Systematic Conservation Planning to Predict Landholder Management Uptake. Conservation Biology, 28 (6), 1462-1473. doi: 10.1111/cobi.12403
Wilson, Kerrie A., Evans, Megan, C., Di Marco, Moreno, Green, David C., Boitani, Luigi, Possingham, Hugh P., Chiozza, Federica and Rondinini, Carlo (2011). Prioritizing conservation investments for mammal species globally. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 366 (1578), 2670-2680. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0108
Evans, Megan, Possingham, Hugh and Wilson, Kerrie (2011). Extinctions: Conserve not collate. Nature, 474 (7351), 284-284. doi: 10.1038/474284a
Evans, Megan C., Possingham, Hugh P. and Wilson, Kerrie A. (2011). What to do in the face of multiple threats? Incorporating dependencies within a return on investment framework for conservation. Diversity and Distributions: a journal of conservation biogeography, 17 (3), 437-450. doi: 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2011.00747.x
Taylor, Martin F. J., Sattler, Paul S., Evans, Megan, Fuller, Richard A., Watson, James E. M. and Possingham, Hugh P. (2011). What works for threatened species recovery? An empirical evaluation for Australia. Biodiversity and Conservation, 20 (4), 767-777. doi: 10.1007/s10531-010-9977-8
Evans, Megan C., Watson, James E. M., Fuller, Richard A., Venter, Oscar, Bennett, Simon C., Marsack, Peter R. and Possingham, Hugh P. (2011). The spatial distribution of threats to species in Australia. Bioscience, 61 (4), 281-289. doi: 10.1525/bio.2011.61.4.8
Conference Papers
Evans, Megan C., Maron, Martine, Gibbons, Philip and Possingham, Hugh P. (2013). A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: ecological time preference and biodiversity offsets. 15th Annual BIOECON Conference, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 18 – 20 September 2013.
Watson, James E. M., Evans, Megan C., Carwardine, Josie, Fuller, Richard A., Joseph, Liana N., Segan, Dan B., Taylor, Martin F. J., Fensham, R. J. and Possingham, Hugh P. (2011). The capacity of Australia's protected-area system to represent threatened species. Hoboken, NJ, United States: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01587.x
Research Report
Mayfield, Helen, Rhodes, Jonathan, Evans, Megan and Maron, Martine (2020). Saving our species: guidelines for estimating and evaluating species' response to management. Sydney, NSW, Australia: NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.
Newspaper Articles
Ritchie, Euan, Nimmo, Dale, Driscoll, Don, Heard, Geoffrey, Watson, James, Evans, Megan C. and Doherty, Tim (2017, 10 12). Australia’s species need an independent champion The Conversation