University of Florida // Wildlife Ecology & Conservation

Luke J. Evans

Assistant Scientist (Faculty)

Quantitative ecologist specializing in conservation science, remote sensing, and invasion biology. I've worked in a variety of landscapes, from the rainforests of Borneo, to the Florida Everglades.

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18+ Publications
$950K+ Grant Funding
775+ Citations
5 Decision Tools
Luke Evans conducting fieldwork in Borneo rainforest
Ph.D., Cardiff University
Gainesville, FL
IUCN CSG Vice Chair

About

Ecology, Technology & Policy

I'm a quantitative scientist with a background in large-scale data analysis and field-based conservation. I've held postdoctoral positions at Stanford University, Arizona State University, and the University of Florida, working across remote sensing, decision science, and invasion biology.

Most of my work is applied. I build tools that feed directly into management decisions, whether that's state-wide crocodile population models in Malaysian Borneo or invasive species risk platforms for the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission.

I've worked across four continents, from the lowland rainforests of Borneo to the subtropical wetlands of the Everglades, and I try to bring that breadth of experience to every project.

Research Interests

Tropical Forest Ecology Remote Sensing Invasion Science Conservation Biology Science-Policy Interface Decision Support Tools Quantitative Ecology Spatial Ecology

Career

Academic Journey

2025 – Present

Assistant Scientist (Faculty)

University of Florida, Wildlife Ecology & Conservation

2020 – 2025

Postdoctoral Researcher

University of Florida

Invasive species risk assessment & decision support tools. PIs: Dr. Brett Scheffers & Dr. Christina Romagosa

2019 – 2020

Postdoctoral Researcher

Arizona State University, Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science

Remote sensing of tropical ecosystem change. PI: Dr. Greg Asner

2017 – 2019

Postdoctoral Researcher

Stanford University, Carnegie Institution for Science

Animal movement & remote sensing. Creation of a 400,000 ha protected area in Sabah. PI: Dr. Greg Asner

2016 – 2019

Crocodile Conservation Manager & Technical Manager

Danau Girang Field Centre / Sabah Wildlife Department, Malaysia

State-wide crocodile surveys, conservation strategy, and PhD student supervision

2012 – 2016

Ph.D. in Ecology

Cardiff University, UK

Human-crocodile conflict, satellite tracking, and population genetics in Malaysian Borneo

Research

Research Programs

Invasive species risk from the exotic pet trade

Invasion Science & Risk Assessment

Developing quantitative tools to assess and mitigate the invasive species risk posed by the exotic pet trade. Building decision support platforms used by the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Department of the Interior to combat invasive introductions across the Everglades and Florida.

Aerial view of tropical rainforest canopy in Borneo

Remote Sensing & Forest Ecology

Utilizing LiDAR, satellite imagery, and airborne remote sensing to understand the effects of human-mediated change on tropical and sub-tropical ecosystems. Working at the intersection of forest carbon stocks and regional biodiversity to inform strategic conservation prioritization.

Bornean pygmy elephant calf in Sabah

Wildlife Conservation & Movement Ecology

Pairing animal movement data with high-resolution habitat mapping to understand and conserve endangered species. Research on Bornean elephant connectivity contributed to the establishment of a 400,000-hectare protected area in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.

Estuarine crocodile in Kinabatangan River, Sabah

Crocodilian Ecology & Human-Wildlife Conflict

Over a decade of research on estuarine crocodiles in Sabah, including satellite tracking, population modeling, nesting ecology, and drone-based surveys. Serving as Regional Vice Chairman of the IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group since 2015.

Clouded leopard in Borneo
White-crowned hornbill
Bornean elephant at river
Estuarine crocodile
Monitor lizard in Borneo
Crocodile field research team

Publications

Selected Publications

Google Scholar: 660+ citations · h-index 13

2025

Fredstone, A.*, Tingley, M.*, Neate-Clegg M., Evans, L. J., … Scheffers, B.

Reimagining species on the move across space and time.

Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 40(7), 929–638.

2024

Evans, L. J., Baecher, J. A., Scheffers, B. R.

Invasive risk posed by the pet trade.

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. e2825.

2024

Klinges, D. H., Baecher, J. A., Lembrechts, J. J., … Evans, L. J., … Scheffers, B. R.

Proximal microclimate: Moving beyond spatiotemporal resolution improves ecological predictions.

Global Ecology and Biogeography, 33(9), e13884.

2021

Carlson, R. R., Evans, L. J., Foo, S. A., Grady, B. W., Li, J., Seeley, M., … Asner, G. P.

Synergistic benefits of conserving land-sea ecosystems.

Global Ecology and Conservation, 28, e01684.

2020

Evans, L. J., Goossens, B., Davies, A. B., Reynolds, G., Asner, G. P.

Natural and anthropogenic drivers of Bornean elephant movement strategies.

Global Ecology and Conservation, 22, e00906.

2020

Williams, S. et al.

Conservation planning that incorporates regional-scale landscape connectivity.

Conservation Biology, 34(4), 934–942.

2018

Evans, L. J., Asner, G. P., & Goossens, B.

Protected area management priorities crucial for the future of Bornean elephants.

Biological Conservation, 221, 365–373.

2018

Asner, G. P., et al.

Mapped aboveground carbon stocks to advance forest conservation and recovery in Malaysian Borneo.

Biological Conservation, 217, 289–310.

2017

Evans, L. J., Goossens, B., & Asner, G. P.

Underproductive agriculture aids connectivity in tropical forests.

Forest Ecology and Management, 401, 159–165.

2017

Evans, L. J., Davies, A. B., Goossens, B., & Asner, G. P.

Riparian vegetation structure and the hunting behavior of adult estuarine crocodiles.

PLoS ONE, 12(10), e0184804.

2016

Evans, L. J., Jones, T. H., Pang, K., Saimin, S., & Goossens, B.

Spatial ecology of estuarine crocodile nesting in a fragmented landscape.

Sensors, 16(9), 1527.

2015

Evans, L. J., Jones, T. H., Pang, K., Evans, M. N., Saimin, S., & Goossens, B.

Use of drone technology as a tool for behavioral research: a case study of crocodilian nesting.

Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 10, 90–98.

Published Book

Kaur-Kler, J., Evans, L. J., Goossens, B. (2019). Opogi; a Bornean Crocodile. Natural History Publications, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Impact

Decision Support Tools & White Papers

Tools and modeling outputs that are actively used in population management and species conservation.

Implemented

Climate Adaptation Invasion Risk Tool

Climate adaptation considerations in invasion risk development.

Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), 2025

Implemented

Everglades Restoration Invasion Support Tool

Invasion risk support tool for Everglades restoration efforts.

Office of Everglades Restoration (OERI), Dept. of the Interior, 2024

Implemented

Invasion Risk Decision Support Tool

Comprehensive invasion risk assessment platform for Florida.

Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), 2023

Implemented

Climate Futures of Invasives in the Southeast

Climate futures modeling for current and potential invasive species.

Southeast Climate Adaptation Center (SECASC), 2022

Implemented

Statewide Crocodile Population Model

Population modeling framework for estuarine crocodiles across Sabah.

Sabah, Malaysia State Government, 2021

State Management Plans, Sabah, Malaysia

Involved in drafting state-wide action plans for key endangered species:

Proboscis Monkey IUCN Endangered Bornean Banteng IUCN Endangered Clouded Leopard IUCN Vulnerable

Funding

Grants & Support

Over $950,000 USD in research grants from governmental agencies, NGOs, and institutions across four countries.

$259,376

National Park Service, Dept. of Interior

2025 · co-PI

$104,302

Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission

2022 · co-PI

$75,465

US Department of Interior

2023 · co-PI

$22,605

Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission

2024 · PI

~$400,000

Ocean Park Hong Kong

2016–2020 · Major Collaborator

~$100,000

Sabah State Government

2016–2019 · co-PI · Crocodile Population Survey

Funding Partners

National Park Service US Department of the Interior Florida FWC SECASC IUCN Rainforest Trust Ocean Park Hong Kong Chester Zoo Columbus Zoo Sabah Wildlife Department

Teaching

Teaching & Mentoring

Teaching Interests

Quantitative Ecology Spatial Ecology Invasion Science Remote Sensing Climate Change Conservation Biology Field Techniques R Programming

Mentoring

  • Sai Kerisha Kntayya / Ph.D. (2018–2024)
    Landscape genetics and habitat viability of estuarine crocodiles in Sabah
  • Richard Burger / Ph.D. (2016–2023)
    Morphological attributes of the reticulated python in a fragmented landscape
  • Fraser Woodburn / M.S. (2018–2019)
    Density dependent growth rates in green turtles at Mantanani, Sabah
  • Multiple undergraduate students mentored (2012–2024)

Field Courses

Lectured on 80+ field courses at Danau Girang Field Centre, teaching undergraduate and graduate students from institutions across the US, UK, China, Netherlands, and Germany.

Including universities such as Cardiff, University of Miami (Ohio), Oregon State, Portland State, University of Hong Kong, and Leiden University.

Workshops

  • UF Invasive Species Risk Determination Workshop (2024)
    Co-organized, 60+ participants. Showcased risk tools and calibration data collection.
  • SECASC Invasive Species Workshop (2022)
    Co-organized, 25 participants over 2 days. Interactive app use and real-time data analysis.

Collaborate

Interested in Working Together?

I'm always open to hearing from students, researchers, and potential collaborators who share interests in any of the areas below. If something here overlaps with your work or goals, I'd be glad to chat.

Invasive species risk assessment and management
Remote sensing and spatial ecology
Quantitative ecology and decision science
Wildlife conservation and movement ecology

Feel free to reach out if you'd like to discuss research ideas, potential collaborations, or opportunities within the department.

  Get in Touch

In Focus

Borneo Deforestation

This visualization shows the dramatic decline in forest cover across Borneo from 2000 to 2023. Understanding these landscape-level changes is central to my research on wildlife connectivity, habitat fragmentation, and conservation prioritization in Southeast Asia.

My work with the Carnegie Airborne Observatory and Rainforest Trust directly contributed to establishing a 400,000-hectare protected area in Sabah to combat this ongoing loss.

Borneo deforestation from 2000 to 2023

Outreach

Media & Engagement

Television

Featured in international productions including Animal Planet's The Amazon of the East and Borneo Jungle Diaries.

Press

Research covered by local and international newspapers, online news sources, and Mongabay.

Community

Local outreach engaging schools and villages in Malaysia on conservation awareness and wildlife management.

Contact

Get in Touch

Department

Wildlife Ecology & Conservation
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL

LiDAR canopy height model showing elephant movement corridors in Sabah, Borneo
LiDAR Canopy Height & Elephant Corridors Sabah, Malaysian Borneo