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Dr Darren Evans

Contact details

School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UG.
Phone: +44 (0)117 0117 954 5960 (Internal 45960)
Fax: +44 (0)117 331 7985
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Research Associate

From 1 January 2010 I shall be taking up a Lectureship in Conservation Biology at the University of Hull. Email: D.Evans[at]hull.ac.uk

Research

I am quite literally interested in the birds and the bees. I study the direct and indirect ways in which species interact and model the extinction dynamics of complex, ecological networks. I am currently constructing and examining the 'robustness' of the world's largest terrestrial network as part of the BBSRC/Defra funded project: Biodiversity on Farms: A Complex Systems Approach.

Prior to moving to Bristol I worked as an Avian Ecologist at the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology investigating the effects of livestock grazing on the population biology of upland birds. I currently co-supervise two PhD students on related topics: Nacho Fernandez de la Pradilla Villar (University of Aberdeen, with Lambin, Redpath & Pakeman) and Gina Prior (University of Glasgow, with Redpath, Thirgood & Monaghan).

Other interests include understanding the effects of human disturbance on birds, avian physiology and behaviour and the importance of people's beliefs and values in nature conservation.

I am on the Editorial Board of PLoS ONE and am an Associate Editor of Animal Conservation (Zoological Society of London)

Brief CV

• 2006-present: Senior Postdoctoral Research Associate, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol
• 2002-2005: Postdoctoral Avian Ecologist, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Banchory
• 2000-2002: Field Research Technician, Ornithology Group, University of Glasgow
• 1996-2000: DPhil 'Ecology and Spatial Dynamics of wintering Wildfowl on Lough Neagh'. DENI CAST Award with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Department of Education for Northern Ireland, University of Ulster
• 1996: Science Officer, English Nature
• 1991-1995: BSc (Hons) Environmental Studies, University of Hertfordshire

New publications

Pocock, M. J. O., Evans, D. M. & Memmott, J. (in press) The impact of farm management on the species-specific leaf area index (LAI): farm-scale data and predictive models. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment.

Evans, D. M., Pocock, M. J. O., & Memmott, J. (in prep.) Using quantitative ecological networks in avian biology: an example of seed dispersal by birds on lowland farms (for submission to Journal of Avian Biology)

Recent Publications

Journal

• Evans, DM, McLeod, JJ, Pascoe, L & Memmott, J. (2009) The efficiency of a vacuum device for estimating soil-surface seed abundance on lowland farms. Weed Research, 49, 337 - 340.

• Dennis, P, Skartveit, J, McCracken, DI, Pakeman, RJ, Beaton, K, Kunaver, A & Evans, DM. (2008) The effects of livestock grazing on foliar arthropods associated with bird diet in upland grasslands of Scotland. Journal of Applied Ecology, 45, 279 - 287.

• Douglas, DJT, Evans, DM & Redpath, SM. (2008) Selection of foraging habitat and nestling diet by Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensis breeding on intensively grazed moorland. Bird Study, 55, 290 - 296.

• Walsh, PT, Evans, DM, Hansell, M & Ruxton, GD. (2007) Factors influencing nocturnal egg turning frequency in the Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis). Bird Study, 54, 133 - 136.

• Loe, LE, Mysterud, A, Stein, A, Steen, H, Evans, DM & Austrheim, G. (2007) Positive short term effects of sheep grazing on the alpine avifauna. Biology Letters, 3, 109 - 111.

• Evans, DM, Redpath, SM, Evans, SA, Elston, DA, Gardner, CJ, Dennis, P & Pakeman, RJ. (2006) Low intensity, mixed livestock grazing improves the breeding abundance of a common insectivorous passerine. Biology Letters, 2, 636 - 638.

• Evans, DM, Redpath, SM, Elston, DA, Evans, SA & Mitchell, RJ. (2006) To graze or not to graze? Sheep, voles, forestry and nature conservation in the British Uplands. Journal of Applied Ecology, 43, 499 - 505.

• Evans, DM, Redpath, SM, Evans, SA, Elston, DA & Dennis, P. (2005) Livestock grazing affects the egg size of an insectivorous passerine. Biology Letters, 1, 322 - 325.

• Evans, DM, Redpath, SM & Evans, SA. (2005) Seasonal patterns in the productivity of Meadow Pipits in the uplands of Scotland. Journal of Field Ornithology, 76, 245 - 251.

• Stuart, SN, Archibald, GW, Ball, J, Berry, RJ, Emmerich, SD, Evans, DM, Flenley, JR, Gaston, KJ, Given, DR, Gosler, AG, Harris, P, Houghton, J, Lindquist, ED, Mahan, DC, Morecroft, MD, Moyer, DC, Murdiyarso, D, Musiti, BWW, Nicolson, C, Oteng-Yeboah, A, Plumptre, AJ, Prance, G, Ramachandra, V, Sale, JB, Sheldon, JK, Simiyu, S, Storey, R, Underhill, LG, Vickery, J & Whitten, T. (2005) Conservation theology for conservation biologists - A reply to David Orr. Conservation Biology, 19, 1689 - 1692.

View All Publications Held on the University of Bristol's IRIS database

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