University of Nottingham Malaysia
Faculty of Science
     
  
 

Image of Stephanie Evers

Stephanie Evers

Honorary Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences

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Teaching Summary

I am the Course Director for BSc. Environmental Sciences.

Please contact me if you have any queries regarding this degree programme

Module Convener:

  • L1 Ecology of Natural and Managed Ecosystem
  • L2 Environmental Science Field Course ( Tioman Island,)
  • L2 Professional Skills for Bioscientists

I also teach in a range of other modules in UG and PG in the areas of tropical ecology, sustainable development, statistics, research skills and hydrogeochemistry

Research Summary

My research focus is Aquatic Ecology with a research focus on the inter-relationships between carbon flux, biogeochemistry and ecological community assemblage structure of aquatic and wetland… read more

Selected Publications

  • PADFIELD, R, DREW, S, PAGE, S, EVERS, S, CAMPOS-ARCEIZ, A, KANGAYATKARASU, N, SAYOK, A, MAULIDIA, M and HANSEN, S, 2016. Tropical landscape transformation: Policy initiatives, emerging corporate commitments and the prospect of a ‘green revolution’ in the palm oil industry Landscape Research. (In Press.)
  • HANSEN, SUNE BALLE, PADFIELD, RORY, SYAYUTI, KHADIJAH, EVERS, STEPHANIE, ZAKARIAH, ZURIATI and MASTURA, SHARIFAH, 2015. Trends in global palm oil sustainability research JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION. 100(1), 140-149
  • SOFIE SJÖGERSTEN, COLIN R BLACK, STEPHANIE EVERS, JORGE HOYOS-SANTILLAN, EMMA L WRIGHT and BENJAMIN L TURNER, 2014. Tropical wetlands: A missing link in the global carbon cycle? Global Biogeochemical Cycles. (In Press.)
  • PADFIELD, R, WALDRON, S, DREW, S, PAPARGYROPOULOU, E, KUMARAN, S, PAGE, S, GILVEAR, S, AMSTRONG, A, EVERS, S, WILLIAMS, P, YUN, C, HANSEN, S, LATIF, T, SAYOK, A, CAMPOS-ARCEIZ, A and THAM, MH, 2014. Research priorities for the study of tropical peatland: A stakeholder engagement exercise in Malaysia Environmental Conservation. 28(12), 1371-1386

Current Research

My research focus is Aquatic Ecology with a research focus on the inter-relationships between carbon flux, biogeochemistry and ecological community assemblage structure of aquatic and wetland ecosystems, particularly tropical peatswamp forests. I am currently focusing on the impacts of alteration of tropical peat swamp forest with agricultural conversion.

In 2011, I co-founded TROCARI (Tropical Catchment Research Initiative; www.trocari.com), a four-member research consortium of universities and NGO's in Malaysia. TROCARI's research focuses on tropical peatland ecology and biogeochemistry, but is also strongly multidisciplinary and also has many projects related to socioeconomics, policies and stakeholder engagement initiatives. I am especially interested in the rapid conversion of tropical peatlands into agriculture (especially oil palm plantations).

Tropical lowland peat swamp forests (PSFs) are unique ecosystems. In their natural state they are permanently waterlogged anaerobic, highly acidic (pH2.9-4) and flood up to 50 cm or more during the wet season, inhibiting heterotrophic and root respiration and also organic matter decomposition. Consequently, plant material only partially decomposes; resulting in a net accumulation of organic matter compared to the suppressed rate of decomposition. The peat forms over millennia to form domes up to 20 m deep.

Southeast Asia contains an estimated 56% of all tropical peatlands. Further, Southeast Asian peatlands are also some of the deepest, averaging 5.5-7m deep and can be up to 28,000 years old, storing an estimated 69Gt of carbon. Unfortunately, expanding agricultural conversion has led to drainage, loss of hydrological function, deforestation, increased soil respiration and fire resulting in daily emissions from Indonesia during this years 'haze' events being comparable to emissions from the entire daily US economy. In addition due to increases in soil respiration, the peat forest conversion contributes an equivalent of 1.3% to 3.1% of current global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.

I currently have a group of PhD (5) and MPhil (2) students which benefit from those extensive cross-discipline and cross-university collaborations. The projects are quite varied, but most relate to carbon fluxes from peatlands and peat ecology.

Current research areas include:

  • The role of soil compression on peat soil microbial communities, GHG emissions and micropore morphology
  • Differing microbial communities in soils of peat agricultural systems
  • Spatial variation of GHG emissions during the peat swamp forest to oil palm plantation conversion process
  • Dissolved Organic Carbon concentrations within varying peat soil land uses
  • Mobility of heavy metals in blackwaters of peat catchments
  • Characterization of emissions from peat fires
  • Isotopic signatures of carbon emissions
  • Blackwater fish and algae as indicators of varying water quality in peatlands

Past Research

Before coming to Malaysia, I was a researcher on a major EU Life+ funded programme (CAISIE) leading a work programme examining the role of non-native invasive species in altering ecological and habitat dynamics in Irish inland canal and navigable waterways.

My PhD research at the University of Glasgow considering the role of light availability and forest felling on the allochthonous and autochthonous carbon ratios of in-stream biofilms in conifer plantations. I also considered ecological communities and how they varied in response to alteration of basal foodweb resources.

  • PADFIELD, R, DREW, S, PAGE, S, EVERS, S, CAMPOS-ARCEIZ, A, KANGAYATKARASU, N, SAYOK, A, MAULIDIA, M and HANSEN, S, 2016. Tropical landscape transformation: Policy initiatives, emerging corporate commitments and the prospect of a ‘green revolution’ in the palm oil industry Landscape Research. (In Press.)
  • HANSEN, SUNE BALLE, PADFIELD, RORY, SYAYUTI, KHADIJAH, EVERS, STEPHANIE, ZAKARIAH, ZURIATI and MASTURA, SHARIFAH, 2015. Trends in global palm oil sustainability research JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION. 100(1), 140-149
  • ADESIJI RICHARD ADEOLU, THAMER AHMED MOHAMMAD, NIK NORSYAHARIATI NIK DAUD, SA’ARI MUSTAPHA, ALEXANDER KIEW SAYOK, RORY PADFIELD and STEPHANIE EVERS, 2015. Investigating the influence of rainfall on soil carbon quantity in a Tropical Peatland: International Conference on Environmental Forensics 2015 (iENFORCE2015) Procedia Environmental Sciences. 30(1), 44-49
  • PADFIELD, R, WALDRON, S, DREW, S, PAPARGYROPOULOU, E, KUMARAN, S, PAGE, S, GILVEAR, S, AMSTRONG, A, EVERS, S, WILLIAMS, P, YUN, C, HANSEN, S, LATIF, T, SAYOK, A, CAMPOS-ARCEIZ, A and THAM, MH, 2014. Research priorities for the study of tropical peatland: A stakeholder engagement exercise in Malaysia Environmental Conservation. 28(12), 1371-1386
  • SOFIE SJÖGERSTEN, COLIN R BLACK, STEPHANIE EVERS, JORGE HOYOS-SANTILLAN, EMMA L WRIGHT and BENJAMIN L TURNER, 2014. Tropical wetlands: A missing link in the global carbon cycle? Global Biogeochemical Cycles. (In Press.)
  • EVERS, S, WILLIAMS, P and PADFIELD, R, 2013. Seasonal Variation in Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) Concentrations within NSPSF In: Seminar Ekspedisi Saintifik Biodiversiti Hutan Paya Gambut Selangor Utara.
  • PADFIELD, R, SAYOK, A, EVERS, S and ZAKARIA, Z, 2013. Managing the Carbon Landscape: Technological and Policy Applications in Tropical Peatland Catchments. In: International Conference on Water and Wastewater Management (ICWWM 2013).
  • PADFIELD, R, SAYOK, A, EVERS, S and ZAKARIA, Z, 2013. Towards sustainable management of tropical peatland: Technological and policy applications in the monitoring of carbon rich landscapes in Southeast Asia In: 4th International Conference of Science and Engineering (ICSE 2013). 9-10 December. Yangoon, Mynamar.
  • SAYOK, A, PADFIELD, R and EVERS, S, 2013. Mapping the Carbon Landscape: Tropical Peatland Mapping the carbon landscape: GIS & in-situ monitoring applications in tropical peatland catchments In: The International Symposium on Digital Earth, Kuching, Malaysia 26th-29th Aug 2013.
  • WALDRON, S, VIHERMAA, L, EVERS, S, GARNETT, M and NEWTON J,, 2013. Understanding the rate at which C is cycled is as important as quantifying the flux rates In: American Geophysical Union 9–12 December 2013, San Francisco, United States.
  • EVERS, S, WILLIAMS, P, DREW, S and PADFIELD, R, 2013. DOC within Malaysian peat swamps – calibration issues & heavy metal associations with DOC In: Second International Workshop on In Situ Spectrophotometry, 8th May 2013, Lancaster, UK..
  • CAFFREY, J, MILLANE, M, MORAN, H, EVERS, S and SCALLY, L, 2013. Final Report: Control of Aquatic Invasive species and restoration to Native Communities in Ireland. CAISIE Final Report LIFE-07-NAT-IRL-000341
  • CAFFREY, J.M, EVERS, S.E, MILLANE, M and MORAN, H, 2011. Current status of Ireland’s newest invasive species – the Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774)) Aquatic Invasions. 6(3), 291–299
  • CAFFREY, J.M, MILLANE, M, EVERS, S.E and MORAN, H, 2011. Management of Lagarosiphon major (Ridley) Moss in Lough Corrib* A review. Biology and the Environment: Proceedings of the royal Irish Academy. 111b(3), 1-8
  • EVERS, S.E, CAFFREY, J.M, MILLANE, M and MORAN, H, 2011. Novel approaches to controlling invasive species in Ireland. In: NEWMAN, J.R, ed., The Robson Meeting 2011 Proceedings of the 43rd Robson Meeting. CEH Wallingford. 23
  • CAFFREY, J.M, MILLANE, M, EVERS, S.E, MORAN, H and BUTLER, M, 2010. A novel approach to aquatic weed control and habitat restoration using biodegradable jute matting Aquatic Invasions. 5(2), 123-129
  • CAFFREY, J.M, EVERS, S.E, MILLANE, M, MORAN, H and SAYED, S, 2010. Control of Lagarosiphon major and Restoration of Indigenous Communities Using a Biodegradable Geotextile (Jute Matting) to exclude Light. In: 17th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species. Santiago, USA. 129
  • CAFFREY, J.M, EVERS, S.E and MORAN, H, 2009. Research and Control Programme for Lagarosiphon major in Lough Corrib 2008 Central Fisheries Board, Ireland.
  • CAFFREY, J.M, EVERS, S.E and MORAN, H, 2009. Lagarosiphon major control in a large Irish lake through light exclusion.. In: Proceedings of the 12th European Weed Research Society Symposium on Aquatic Weeds, yväskylä, Finland.
  • EVERS, S.E and CAFFREY, J.M, 2009. The use of life cycle traits in the management of the invasive species Lagarosiphon major in Lough Corrib, Ireland. In: 16th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species, Montreal, Canada. 19th-23rd April 2009.
  • EVERS, S, CAFFREY, J and MORAN, H, 2008. Research and Control Programme for Lagarosiphon major in Lough Corrib
  • EVERS, S.E, WALDRON, S, MURPHY, K.J and PENNY, J, 2006. The Hidden Information in Stream Biofilms In: Isotopes in Ecology (ISOECOL), Belfast.
  • EVERS, S.E, WALDRON, S, MURPHY, K.J, PENNY, J and TERVET, D, 2005. An Isotopic and Stoichiometric Approach to Characterising Carbon Sources and Stream Biofilms. In: American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Summer (ASLO) 2005 meeting, Santiago de Compostella, Spain.
  • WALDRON, S, SOULSBY, C and EVERS, S.E, 2004. Detailed, short-term (one year) water chemistry profiles of small order river systems draining an upland peatland.. In: 29TH Congress in Lahti, Finland, Verhandlungen Internationale Vereinigung für theoretische und angewandte Limnologie. (International Association of Theoretical and Applied Limnology) 29.
  • EVERS, S.E, MURPHY, K.J, WALDRON, S and PENNY, J, 2004. The role of light in food web functioning and improving riparian habitat and aquatic biodiversity in forest streams. In: University Del Comahue, Viedma, Argentina Conference ‘Conservación de la calidad del recurso en ecosistemas de agua dulce’ (Conservation of resource quality in freshwater aquatic ecosystems).
  • EVERS, S.E, WALDRON, S, MURPHY, K.J, TERVET, D and PENNY, J, 2004. The use of stable isotopes (15N and 13C) in characterising river bio-films and subsequent applications.: Knowledge Transfer Report
  • EVERS, S, WALDRON S, MURPHY K, and PENNY, J, 2004. The use of stable isotopes (15N and 13C) in characterising river bio-films and subsequent applications. Knowledge Transfer Report to the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA)
  • WINGFIELD, R, EVERS, S.E and MURPHY, K.J, 2002. Survey of Najas flexilis, Slender Naiad in Loch Kindar
  • EVERS, S.E, MURPHY, K.J, PENNY, J and TERVET, D, The role of light in improving riparian habitat and aquatic biodiversity. In: Freshwater Forum: FBA Annual Scientific Meeting 2004: report and abstracts 22. 13-21
  • WALDRON, S, EVERS, S.E and SOULSBY, C, Inter-riverine total inorganic carbon cycling in a small order system draining a peatland catchment.. In: 29TH Congress in Lahti, Finland, Verhandlungen Internationale Vereinigung für theoretische und angewandte Limnologie. (International Association of Theoretical and Applied Limnology) 29.

Faculty of Science

University of Nottingham Malaysia
Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia

telephone: +6 (03) 8924 8000
fax: +6 (03) 8924 8018

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