Dr Stephanie Evers
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Science
Email: S.L.Evers@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 904 1024
-Reader in Aquatic Ecology and Biogeochemistry, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University,
-Honorary Associate Professor in Environmental Science, School of Geographical and Environmental Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus,
Overview:
My research focuses on wetlands ecology and biogeochemistry. Primarily I am interested in the impact of conversion of tropical peat swamp forests to agriculture and the impact to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, alteration to soil physicochemistry and ecological functioning of these unique tropical ecosystems with conversion as well as in relation to rehabilitation activities.
I am founder and Principal Investigator (PI) of an international multi-disciplinary research consortium called TROCARI (Tropical Catchment Research Initiative) whose focus is on research related to tropical peat ecosystem function, degradation impacts to ecology, GHG emissions and climate change, ecosystem services and socio-political implications. The consortium is bound by a MoU but more recently has been extended into a larger international network of academic, government, NGO and industry partners. Though this, I have 5 current PhD students and one completed.
Background to tropical peatlands:
Tropical peatlands in Southeast Asia are a globally important ecosystem for carbon storage, biodiversity provision and hydrological regulation. The region comprises approximately 24.8 MHa and stores 68.5Gt of carbon (C). However, tropical peat swamp forests (PSFs) are under increasing threat from agricultural conversion, deforestation, drainage and fires. Alteration of the soil environment via drainage and the resulting peat oxidation alters the microbial community composition, abundance, and activity levels. This increases rates of organic matter decomposition and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Consequently, drained peats revert from C stores to sources, with soil CO2 emissions and fluvial emissions (from drainage ditches) of carbon being many millions of tonnes per year. On top of that fire emissions driven by drained and dried peatlands, are equivalent to 2.3–8.2% of global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel burning. With the increasing recognition of the fundamental unsustainability of drainage-based agricultural conversion on peatlands, research undertaken by the research group TROCARI, considers the extent to these losses, implications to ecosystem services and effective methods for rehabilitation/wiser use of peatlands into the future.
Degrees
2007, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom, PhD
Academic appointments
Reader in Aquatic Ecology and Biogeochemistry, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, 2016 - present
Honorary Associate Professor in Environemtal Science, School of Geogrphical and Environmental Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, 2016 - present
Highlighted publications
Cooper HV, Evers S, Aplin P, Crout N, Bin Dahalan MP, Sjogersten S. 2020. Author Correction: Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from conversion of peat swamp forest to oil palm plantation (Nature Communications, (2020), 11, 1, (407), 10.1038/s41467-020-14298-w) Nature Communications, 11 :1717 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Evers S, Yule CM, Padfield R, O'Reilly P, Varkkey H. 2017. Keep wetlands wet: the myth of sustainable development of tropical peatlands – implications for policies and management Global Change Biology, 23 :534-549 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Journal article
Samuel MK, Evers S. 2024. Translocation of tropical peat surface to deeper soil horizons under compaction controls carbon emissions in the absence of groundwater Frontiers in Soil Science, 4 DOI Publisher Url
Samuel MK, Evers SL. 2023. Assessing the potential of compaction techniques in tropical peatlands for effective carbon reduction and climate change mitigation SN Applied Sciences, 5 DOI Publisher Url
Dhandapani S, Evers S, Boyd DS, Yesuf G, Kinneen L, Haughan A, Sjogersten S. 2023. Assessment of variability of peat physicochemical properties, subsidence and their interactions within Selangor forests European Journal of Soil Science, 74 DOI Publisher Url
Dhandapani S, Evers S, Boyd D, Evans CD, Page S, Parish F, Sjogersten S. 2023. Assessment of differences in peat physico-chemical properties, surface subsidence and GHG emissions between the major land-uses of Selangor peatlands Catena, 230 DOI Publisher Url
Jovani‐Sancho AJ, O’Reilly P, Anshari G, Chong XY, Crout N, Evans CD, Evers S, Gan JY, Gibbins CN, Gusmayanti E, Jamaludin J, Jaya A, Page S, Yosep , Upton C, Wilson P, Sjögersten S. 2023. CH4 and N2O emissions from smallholder agricultural systems on tropical peatlands in Southeast Asia Global Change Biology, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Samuel MK, Evers SL. 2023. THE ROLE OF COMPACTION ON PYHSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND CARBON EMISSIONS OF TROPICAL PEAT SOILS: A REVIEW Jurnal Teknologi, 85 :83-96 DOI Publisher Url
Ledger MJ, Evans CD, Large DJ, Evers S, Brown C, Jovani-Sancho AJ, Callaghan N, Vane CH, Marshall C, Baskaran A, Gan JY, Sowter A, Morrison K, Sjögersten S. 2023. Tropical peat surface oscillations are a function of peat condition at North Selangor peat swamp forest, Malaysia Frontiers in Environmental Science, 11 DOI Publisher Url
Page S, Mishra S, Agus F, Anshari G, Dargie G, Evers SL, Jauhiainen J, Jaya A, Jovani-Sancho AJ, Lauren A, Sjogersten S, Suspense I, Wijedasa L, Evans C. 2022. Anthropogenic Impacts on Lowland Tropical Peatland Biogeochemistry Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 3 :426-443 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Dhandapani S, Girkin NT, Evers S, Ritz K, Sjögersten S. 2022. Immediate environmental impacts of transformation of an oil palm intercropping to a monocropping system in a tropical peatland Mires and Peat, 28 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Dhandapani S, Girkin NT, Evers S. 2022. Spatial variability of surface peat properties and carbon emissions in a tropical peatland oil palm monoculture during a dry season Soil Use and Management, 38 :381-395 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Azizan SNF, Huynh MN, Padfield R, Evers SL, Noborio K, Hara H. 2021. The Effects of Oil Palm Plantation on Fish Composition in Selangor Peatlands, Malaysia Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology, 25 :19-336 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Evans CD, Callaghan N, Jaya A, Grinham A, Sjogersten S, Page S, Harrison M, Kusin K, Khoon Kho L, Ledger M, Evers SL, Mitchell Z, Williamson J, Radbourne A, Jovani-Sancho AJ. 2021. A novel low-cost, high-resolution camera system for measuring peat subsidence and water table dynamics Frontiers in Environmental Science, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Dhandapani S, Evers S, Ritz K, Sjögersten S. 2021. Nutrient and trace element concentrations influence greenhouse gas emissions from Malaysian tropical peatlands Soil Use and Management, 37 :138-150 DOI Publisher Url
Dhandapani S, Ritz K, Evers S, Cooper H, Tonks A, Sjögersten S. 2020. Land-Use Changes Associated with Oil Palm Plantations Impact PLFA Microbial Phenotypic Community Structure throughout the Depth of Tropical Peats Wetlands, 40 :2351-2366 DOI Publisher Url
O'reilly P, Anshari G, Sancho JJ, Jaya A, Antang E, Antang C, Evers S, Evans C, Wilson P, Crout N, Sjorgesten S, Upton C, Page S. 2020. Oil palm governance at the grassroots: How assemblage links oil palm, livelihoods and local administration in an indonesian village. International Review of Modern Sociology, 46 :107-126
Dhandapani S, Evers SL. 2020. Oil palm 'slash-and-burn' practice increases post-fire greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient concentrations in burnt regions of an agricultural tropical peatland Science of the Total Environment, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Dhandapani S, Girkin NT, Evers SL, Ritz K, Sjögersten S. 2020. Is intercropping an environmentally-wise alternative to established oil palm monoculture in tropical peatlands? Frontiers In Forests And Global Change, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Cooper HV, Evers SL, Aplin P, Crout N, Dahalan MPB, Sjogersten S. 2020. Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from conversion of peat swamp forest to oil palm plantation. Nature Communications, 11 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Tian W, Xiang X, Evers SL, Ma L, Wang R, Qiu X, Wang H. 2020. Rare Species Shift the Structure of Bacterial Communities Across Sphagnum Compartments in a Subalpine Peatland Frontiers in Microbiology, 10 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Girkin NT, Dhandapani S, Evers S, Ostle N, Turner BL, Sjögersten S. 2020. Interactions between labile carbon, temperature and land use regulate carbon dioxide and methane production in tropical peat Biogeochemistry: an international journal, 147 :87-97 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Waldron S, Vihermaa L, Evers S, Garnett MH, Newton J, Henderson ACG. 2019. C mobilisation in disturbed tropical peat swamps: old DOC can fuel the fluvial efflux of old carbon dioxide, but site recovery can occur Scientific Reports, 9 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Dhandapani S, Ritz K, Evers SL, Sjögersten S. 2019. GHG emission under different cropping systems in some Histosols of Malaysia Geoderma Regional, 18 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Cooper HV, Vane CH, Evers S, Aplin P, Girkin NT, Sjögersten S. 2019. From peat swamp forest to oil palm plantations: The stability of tropical peatland carbon Geoderma, 342 :109-117 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Padfield R, Hansen S, Davies Z, Ehrensperger A, Slade E, Evers SL, Papargyropoulou E, Bessou C, Abdullah N, Page S, Ancrenaz M, Aplin P, Dzulkafli SB, Barclay H, Chellaiah D, Choudhary S, Conway S, Cook S, Copeland A, Campos-Arceiz A, Deere NJ, Drew S, Gilvear D, Gray R, Haller T, Hood ASC, Huat LK, Huynh N, Kangayatkarasu N, Koh LP, Kolandai SK, Lim RAH, Yeong KL, Lucey JM, Luke SH, Mitchell SL, Montefrio MJ, Mullin K, Nainar A, Nekaris KI, Nijman V, Nunes M, Nurhidayu S, O'Reilly P, Puan CL, Ruppert N, Salim H, Schouten G, Tallontire A, Smith TEL, Tao HH, Tham MH, Varkkey H, Wadey J, Yule CM, Azhar B, Sayok AK, Vairappan C, Bicknell JE, Struebig MJ. 2019. Co-producing a Research Agenda for Sustainable Palm Oil Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 2 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Dhandapani S, Ritz K, Evers S, Sjögersten S. 2019. Environmental impacts as affected by different oil palm cropping systems in tropical peatlands Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 276 :8-20 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Dhandapani S, Ritz K, Evers S, Yule CM, Sjogersten S. 2019. Are secondary forests second-rate? Comparing peatland greenhouse gas emissions, chemical and microbial community properties between primary and secondary forests in Peninsular Malaysia Science of the Total Environment, 655 :220-231 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Charters LJ, Aplin P, Marston CG, Padfield R, Rengasamy N, Bin Dahalan MP, Evers SL. 2019. Peat swamp forest conservation withstands pervasive land conversion to oil palm plantation in North Selangor, Malaysia International Journal of Remote Sensing, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Marshall C, Large DJ, Athab A, Evers SL, Sowter A, Marsh S, Sjogersten S. 2018. Monitoring tropical peat related settlement using ISBAS InSAR, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) ENGINEERING GEOLOGY, 244 :57-65 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Roulston C, Paton-Walsh C, Smith TEL, Guérette É-A, Evers SL, Yule CM, Rein G, van der Werf GR. 2018. Fine particle emissions from tropical peat fires decrease rapidly with time since ignition Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 123 :5607-5617 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Brown C, Boyd DS, Sjögersten S, Clewley D, Evers SL, Aplin P. 2018. Tropical Peatland Vegetation Structure and Biomass: Optimal Exploitation of Airborne Laser Scanning Remote Sensing, 10 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Smith T, Evers SL, Yule C, Gan J. 2017. In situ tropical peatland fire emission factors and their variability, as determined by field measurements in Peninsula Malaysia. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Matysek M, Evers SL, Samuel MK, Sjogersten S. 2017. High heterotrophic CO2 emissions from a Malaysian oil palm plantations during dry-season Wetlands Ecology and Management, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Tonks AJ, Aplin P, Beriro DJ, Cooper H, Evers S, Vane CH, Sjogersten S. 2017. Impacts of conversion of tropical peat swamp forest to oil palm plantation on peat organic chemistry, physical properties and carbon stocks Geoderma, 289 :36-45 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Evers S, Yule CM, Padfield R, O'Reilly P, Varkkey H. 2017. Keep wetlands wet: the myth of sustainable development of tropical peatlands – implications for policies and management Global Change Biology, 23 :534-549 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Padfield P, Drew S, Syayuti K, Page S, Evers SL, Campos-Arceiz A, Kangayatkarasu N, Sayok A, Hansen S, Schouten G, Maulidia M, Papargyropoulou E, Mun Hou T. 2016. Landscapes in transition: an analysis of sustainable policy initiatives and emerging corporate commitments in the palm oil industry Landscape Research, 41 :744-756 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Belle Hansen S, Padfield R, Syayuti K, Evers SL, Zakariah Z, Mastura S. 2015. Trends in global palm oil sustainability research JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION, 100 :140-149 DOI Publisher Url
Padfield R, Waldron S, Drew S, Papargyropoulou E, Kumaran S, Page S, Gilvear D, Armstrong A, Evers SL, Williams P, Zakaria Z, Chin SY, Balle Hansen S, Campos Arceiz A, Latif MT, Sayok A, Tham MH. 2015. Research agendas for the sustainable management of tropical peatland in Malaysia ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, 42 :73-83 DOI Publisher Url
Adesiji RA, Ahmed Mohammad T, Norsyahariati Nik Dauda, N, Mustapha S, Sayok AK, Padfield R, Evers S. 2015. Investigating the Influence of Rainfall on Soil Carbon Quantity in a Tropical Peatland Procedia Environmental Sciences, DOI Publisher Url
Sjögersten S, Black CR, Evers SL, Hoyos-Santillan J, Wright EL, Turner BL. 2014. Tropical wetlands: A missing link in the global carbon cycle? GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES, 28 :1371-1386 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Caffrey J, Millane M, Evers SL, Moran H. 2011. Management of Lagarosiphon major (ridley) moss in lough corrib-a review Biology and Environment: proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 111B :205-212 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Caffrey J, Evers SL, Millane M, Moran H. 2011. Current status of Ireland's newest invasive species -the Asian clam Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774) Aquatic Invasions, 6 :291-299 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Caffrey J, Millane M, Evers SL, Moran H, Butler M. 2010. A novel approach to aquatic weed control and habitat restoration using biodegradable jute matting Aquatic Invasions, 5 :123-129 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Dataset
Jovani-Sancho, AJ, O’Reilly, P, Anshari G, Chong XY, Crout N, Evans CD, Evers S, Gan JY, Gibbins CN, Gusmayanti EJ, Jamaludin Jaya A, Page S, Redin Y, Upton C, Wilson P, Sjögersten S. 2023. Data for paper "CH4 and N2O emissions from smallholder agricultural systems on tropical peatlands in Southeast Asia" DOI
Report
Siman K, Friess D, Huxham M, McGowan S, Drewer J, Koh LP, Zeng Y, Lechner A, Lee JSH, Evans C, Evers S, Jovani-Sancho J, Varkkey H, Anshari G, Jaya A, Chong KY, Page S, Mishra S, Sofie S. 2021. Nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation: challenges and opportunities for the ASEAN region Nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation: challenges and opportunities for the ASEAN region Author Url
Other
Cooper HV, Evers S, Aplin P, Crout N, Bin Dahalan MP, Sjogersten S. 2020. Author Correction: Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from conversion of peat swamp forest to oil palm plantation (Nature Communications, (2020), 11, 1, (407), 10.1038/s41467-020-14298-w) Nature Communications, 11 :1717 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Editorial/letter to the editor
Wijedasa LS, Jauhiainen J, Könönen M, Lampela M, Vasander H, LeBlanc M, Evers SL, et al., . 2016. Denial of long-term issues with agriculture on tropical peatlands will have devastating consequences GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Chapters
Adeolu AR, Mohammad TA, Nik Daud NN, Sayok A, Padfield R, Evers S. Chapter 6 - Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics in a Tropical Peatland Soil Management and Climate Change Effects on Organic Carbon, Nitrogen Dynamics, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions DOI Publisher Url