Professor of Biology
B.A., Cornell University; Ph.D., Duke University
Botany, Ecology, Conservation Biology
jevans@sewanee.edu
RESEARCH
EVANS LAB WEBSITE
My research in plant ecology and conservation has the following cross-cutting themes:
- Clonal growth as a mechanism for population persistence in plant communities
- Anthropogenic drivers of forest change
- Science conducted so as to inform land-use decision-making, public policy, and conservation efforts.
Recent Publications (*Undergraduate or lab alum co-author):
- Evans, J.P., K. K. Cecala, *B. R. Scheffers, *C.A. Oldfield, N. Hollingshead, D. Haskell, and *B. McKenzie. 2017. Widespread degradation of vernal pools in the southeastern United States: Challenges to current and future management. Wetlands 37:1093-1103. Press Release
- Evans, J.P., and *A. Morris. 2016. Isolated coastal populations of Tilia americana var. caroliniana persist long-term through vegetative growth. American Journal of Botany 103: 1687-1693. AJB Noteworthy Article
- Evans, J.P., *C.A. Oldfield, M.P. Priestley, Y.M. Gottfried, L.D. Estes, *A. Sidik, and G.S. Ramseur. 2016. The Vascular Flora of the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee. Castanea 81: 206-236. Awarded the 2017 Windler Prize in Systematics
- Evans, J.P., *C.A. Oldfield, K.K. Cecala, *J.K. Hiers, J.K., C. Van De Ven, *M.M. Armistead. 2016. Pattern and drivers of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herbivory on tree saplings across a plateau landscape. Forests 7: 101. Press release News
- *Oldfield, C.A. and J.P. Evans. 2016. Twelve years of repeated wild hog activity promotes population maintenance of an invasive clonal plant in a coastal dune ecosystem. Ecology and Evolution 6: 2569–2578. Press release News
- Evans, J.P., *B.R. Scheffers, and *M. Hess. 2014. Effect of laurel wilt invasion on redbay populations in a maritime forest community. Biological Invasions 16: 1581-1588. Press Release News
HERBARIUM
I direct the Sewanee Herbarium, which serves as a center for the study of plant biodiversity on the Cumberland Plateau. The Sewanee Herbarium has catalogued 1,120 species of vascular plants on Sewanee's 13,000 acre campus (Domain) as part of the Flora of the Domain project. The Herbarium sponsors undergraduate and post-baccalaureate fellowships.
BELIZE
I run Sewanee's Field Study in Belize Program which takes students to Belize to explore rainforest and coral reef ecology. Since 2011, this course has logged photos of over 500 species of animals and plants on the course iNaturalist site. View the Field Study in Belize Slide Show! I also work with Friends of Conservation and Development to promote rainforest conservation and provide student internship opportunities in Belize. A recent intern was instrumental in helping me develop a web course module on deforestation in Belize, funded by the Associated Colleges of the South.
