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Hire Dr. Adam C.
Australia
USD 100 /hr

Environmental Data Scientist | R • GIS • Remote Sensing • Predictive Modelling • Shiny Dashboards

Profile Summary
Subject Matter Expertise
Services
Writing Technical Writing, General Proofreading & Editing
Research Meta-Research, Fact Checking, Gap Analysis, Gray Literature Search, Scientific and Technical Research, Systematic Literature Review
Consulting Scientific and Technical Consulting
Data & AI Predictive Modeling, Statistical Analysis, Data Visualization, Data Mining, Data Insights
Work Experience

James Cook University

- Present

Lecturer

Southern Cross University

February 2023 - Present

Education

Doctor of Philosophy

Massey University

January 2015 - December 2017

Certifications
  • Certification details not provided.
Publications
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Adam Canning (2025). Scoping the suitability of water‐tolerant species of trees for swamp restorations across Australia and its Great Barrier Reef catchment . Restoration Ecology.
Adam Canning, Christian Zammit, Russell Death (2024). The implications of climate change for New Zealand’s freshwater fish . Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
Norman C Duke, Adam C Canning (2024). Biomass and canopy condition indicators of short-term effects and long-term recovery of mangrove forests affected by a large oil spill . Bulletin of Marine Science.
Establishing riverine nutrient criteria using individual taxa thresholds title = {Establishing riverine nutrient criteria using individual taxa thresholds}, abstract = {Nutrient enrichment is one of the most pervasive impacts on aquatic ecosystems globally. Approaches to establish nutrient criteria that safeguard aquatic ecosystem health are highly variable and, in many instances, criteria are derived from correlations between in-situ nutrient concentrations and biological indices. Summarising entire assemblages with a single index can result in a substantial loss of information and potentially weaker relationships. In this study, we compared the derivation of nutrient criteria using biological indices and those from individual taxa for rivers and streams in New Zealand. Random forest models, including nutrient concentrations, were built to predict two biological indices and individual taxa across New Zealand's river monitoring network. For all acceptable models, the response of the biological indices and individual taxa to increasing Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN) and Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus (DRP) were then predicted for every river reach across the nation, and nutrient concentrations that protected 80% of taxa were then identified. Models for the biological indices were poor but were good for most of the taxa, with nutrient concentrations almost always being the most influential factor. To ensure persistence of at least 80% of the taxa within a river reach, we estimated that DIN (Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen) concentrations would need to be below 0.57–1.32 mg/L, and DRP (Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus) concentrations below 0.019–0.033 mg/L, depending on the river type. In general, high order, low slope rivers and streams required more stringent nutrient criteria than steep, low order streams. The link between nutrient concentrations and biological indices were weak and likely suffer from the loss of information from summarising an entire assemblage into a single numeric. We consider that the derivation of nutrient criteria for waterways should also examine the individual relationships with the taxa in a river system to establish protection for a desired proportion of taxa.}, address = {}, author = {Canning, A.D. and Death, R.G.}, doi = {10.1016/j.watres.2023.120731}, issn = {0043-1354}, journal = {Water research (Oxford)}, keywords = {Ecological health;Eutrophication;Macroinvertebrates;Nutrient criteria;Nutrients;River management}, language = {eng}, publisher = {Elsevier Ltd}, volume = {246}, year = {2023}, . Water research (Oxford).
Tidal restoration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from freshwater impounded coastal wetlands title = {Tidal restoration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from freshwater impounded coastal wetlands}, abstract = {Freshwater impounded wetlands are created by artificially restricting coastal wetlands connection to tides. The decrease in salinity and altered hydrology can significantly increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, specifically methane (CH4). Restoration of freshwater impounded wetlands through tidal reintroduction can potentially reduce GHG emissions; however, studies in tropical regions are scare. This study investigates the potential for tidal restoration of impounded freshwater coastal wetlands by comparing their GHG emissions with tidally connected mangrove and saltmarshes in the Burdekin catchment in Queensland, Australia. We found that freshwater impounded wetlands had significantly higher CH4 emissions (3,633 ± 812 μg CH4 m−2 hour−1) than mangroves (27 ± 8 μg CH4 m−2 hour−1) and saltmarsh (13 ± 8 μg CH4 m−2 hour−1). Soil redox, moisture, carbon, nitrogen, and bulk density were all significantly correlated to methane emissions. Conversely, freshwater impounded wetlands had significantly lower nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (−0.72 ± 0.18 μg N2O m−2 hour−1) than mangroves and saltmarsh (0.35 ± 0.29 and 1.32 ± 0.52 μg N2O m−2 hour−1 respectively). Nevertheless, when converting to CO2 equivalents (CO2-eq), freshwater impounded wetlands emitted 91 ± 20 g CO2-eq m−2 hour−1, compared to the much lower 0.8 ± 0.2 and 0.7 ± 0.2 g CO2-eq m−2 hour−1 emission rates for mangroves and saltmarsh. In conclusion, restoration of freshwater impounded wetlands through tidal restoration is likely to result in reduced GHG emissions.}, address = {}, author = {Cadier, Charles and Waltham, Nathan J. and Canning, Adam and Fry, Scott and Adame, Maria Fernanda}, doi = {10.1111/rec.13829}, issn = {1061-2971}, journal = {Restoration ecology}, keywords = {blue carbon;mangrove;methane;nitrous oxide ;saltmarsh;soil indicators }, language = {eng}, number = {8}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.}, volume = {31}, year = {2023}, . Restoration ecology.
Constructed Wetlands Suitability for Sugarcane Profitability, Freshwater Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services title = {Constructed Wetlands Suitability for Sugarcane Profitability, Freshwater Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services}, abstract = {Freshwater ecosystems, such as wetlands, are among the most impacted by agricultural expansion and intensification through extensive drainage and pollution. There is a pressing need to identify ways of managing agricultural landscapes to ensure food and water security without jeopardising biodiversity and other environmental benefits. Here we examine the potential fish biodiversity and landholder financial benefits arising from the integration of constructed lagoons to improve drainage, flow regulation and habitat connectivity within a sugarcane dominated catchment in north Queensland, Australia. A hybrid approach was used, combining the findings of both fish ecological surveys and a financial cost-benefit analysis. We found that the constructed lagoons supported at least 36 native freshwater fishes (over half of all native freshwater fishes in the region), owing to their depth, vegetated margins, moderate water quality and high connectivity to the Tully River. In addition to biodiversity benefits, we estimated that surrounding sugarcane farms would have financially benefited from reduced flooding of cropland and the elevation of low-lying cropland with deposited spoil excavated from lagoon construction. Improved drainage and flow regulation allowed for improvement in sugarcane yield and elevated land increased gross margins from extending the length of the cane production cycle or enabling a switch from cattle grazing to cane production. Restoring or creating wetlands to reduce flooding in flood-prone catchments is a globally applicable model that could improve both agricultural productivity and aquatic biodiversity, while potentially increasing farm income by attracting payments for provision of ecosystem services.}, address = {}, author = {Canning, Adam D and Smart, James C R and Dyke, Joshua and Curwen, Graeme and Hasan, Syezlin and Waltham, Nathan J}, doi = {10.1007/s00267-022-01734-4}, issn = {0364-152X}, journal = {Environmental management (New York)}, keywords = {Animals;Biodiversity;Cattle;Conservation of Natural Resources;Ecosystem;Fishes;Fresh Water;Saccharum;Wetlands;Restoration;Flood reduction;Flow regulation;Fish habitat;Crop production}, language = {eng}, pages = {304 - 320}, publisher = {Springer New York LLC}, volume = {71}, year = {2023}, . Environmental management (New York).
Rediscovering wild food to diversify production across Australia's agricultural landscapes title = {Rediscovering wild food to diversify production across Australia's agricultural landscapes}, abstract = {Conventional agriculture currently relies on the intensive and expansive growth of a small number of monocultures, this is both risky for food security and is causing substantial environmental degradation. Crops are typically grown far from their native origins, enduring climates, pests, and diseases that they have little evolutionary adaptation to. As a result, farming practices involve modifying the environment to suit the crop, often via practices including vegetation clearing, drainage, irrigation, titling, and the application of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. One avenue for improvement, however, is the diversification of monoculture agricultural systems with traditional foods native to the area. Native foods benefit from evolutionary history, enabling adaptation to local environmental conditions, reducing the need for environmental modifications and external inputs. Traditional use of native foods in Australia has a rich history, yet the commercial production of native foods remains small compared with conventional crops, such as wheat, barley and sugarcane. Identifying what native crops can grow where would be a first step in scoping potential native food industries and supporting farmers seeking to diversify their cropping. In this study, I modeled the potentially suitable distributions of 177 native food and forage species across Australia, given their climate and soil preferences. The coastal areas of Queensland's wet tropics, south-east Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria were predicted to support the greatest diversity of native food and forage species (as high 80-120 species). These areas also correspond to the nation's most agriculturally intensive areas, including much of the Murray-Darling Basin, suggesting high potential for the diversification of existing intensive monocultures. Native crops with the most expansive potential distribution include Acacia trees, Maloga bean, bush plum, Emu apple, native millet, and bush tomatoes, with these crops largely being tolerant of vast areas of semi-arid conditions. In addition to greater food security, if diverse native cropping results in greater ecosystem service provisioning, through carbon storage, reduced water usage, reduced nutrient runoff, or greater habitat provision, then payment for ecosystem service schemes could also provide supplemental farm income.}, address = {}, author = {Canning, Adam D. D.}, doi = {10.3389/fsufs.2022.865580}, issn = {2571-581X}, journal = {Frontiers in sustainable food systems}, keywords = {Food Science & Technology;Life Sciences & Biomedicine;Science & Technology;Traditional foods;Ecosystem service ;Regenerative agriculture ;Polyculture agriculture;Bush tucker;Native food plants}, language = {eng}, pages = {15}, publisher = {Frontiers Media Sa}, volume = {6}, year = {2022}, . Frontiers in sustainable food systems.
Nitrate enrichment does not affect enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in aquatic microcosms but may affect other strains present in aquatic habitats title = {Nitrate enrichment does not affect enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in aquatic microcosms but may affect other strains present in aquatic habitats}, abstract = {Eutrophication of the planet’s aquatic systems is increasing at an unprecedented rate. In freshwater systems, nitrate—one of the nutrients responsible for eutrophication—is linked to biodiversity losses and ecosystem degradation. One of the main sources of freshwater nitrate pollution in New Zealand is agriculture. New Zealand’s pastoral farming system relies heavily on the application of chemical fertilisers. These fertilisers in combination with animal urine, also high in nitrogen, result in high rates of nitrogen leaching into adjacent aquatic systems. In addition to nitrogen, livestock waste commonly carries human and animal enteropathogenic bacteria, many of which can survive in freshwater environments. Two strains of enteropathogenic bacteria found in New Zealand cattle, are K99 and Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC). To better understand the effects of ambient nitrate concentrations in the water column on environmental enteropathogenic bacteria survival, a microcosm experiment with three nitrate-nitrogen concentrations (0, 1, and 3 mg NO3-N /L), two enteropathogenic bacterial strains (STEC O26—human, and K99—animal), and two water types (sterile and containing natural microbiota) was run. Both STEC O26 and K99 reached 500 CFU/10 ml in both water types at all three nitrate concentrations within 24 hours and remained at those levels for the full 91 days of the experiment. Although enteropathogenic strains showed no response to water column nitrate concentrations, the survival of background Escherichia coli, imported as part of the in-stream microbiota did, surviving longer in 1 and 3 mg NO3-N/Lconcentrations (P < 0.001). While further work is needed to fully understand how nitrate enrichment and in-stream microbiota may affect the viability of human and animal pathogens in freshwater systems, it is clear that these two New Zealand strains of STEC O26 and K99 can persist in river water for extended periods alongside some natural microbiota.}, address = {}, author = {Davis, Meredith T and Canning, Adam D and Midwinter, Anne C and Death, Russell G}, doi = {10.7717/peerj.13914}, issn = {2167-8359}, journal = {PeerJ (San Francisco, CA)}, keywords = {Animals;Cattle;Ecosystem;Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli - metabolism;Escherichia coli Infections - microbiology;Escherichia coli Proteins - metabolism;Fertilizers;Humans;Nitrates;Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli - metabolism;Water;Biochemistry;Ecology;Microbiology;Freshwater biology;Aquatic and Marine Chemistry}, language = {eng}, publisher = {PeerJ, Ltd.}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, . PeerJ (San Francisco, CA).
Adam Canning, Norman C Duke, Jock Mackenzie, Lindsay B. Hutley, Adam J. Bourke, John Michael Kovacs, Riley Cormier, Grant Staben, Leo Lymburner, Emma Ai (2022). ENSO-driven extreme oscillations in mean sea level destabilise critical shoreline mangroves—An emerging threat . PLOS Climate.
The grey water footprint of milk due to nitrate leaching from dairy farms in Canterbury, New Zealand title = {The grey water footprint of milk due to nitrate leaching from dairy farms in Canterbury, New Zealand}, abstract = {The Canterbury Region of New Zealand has undergone rapid and significant land use intensification over the last three decades resulting in a substantial increase of nitrate-nitrogen leached to the environment. In this article, we determined the nitrate grey water footprint of milk, which is the amount of water needed to dilute nitrogen leached past the root zone to meet different receiving water nitrate standards per milk production unit. Our analysis revealed the nitrate grey water footprint for Canterbury ranged from 433 to 11,110 litres of water per litre of milk, depending on the water standards applied. This footprint is higher than many estimates for global milk production, and reveals that footprints are very dependent on inputs included in the analyses and on the water quality standards applied to the receiving water. The extensive dairy farming in Canterbury is leading to significant pollution of the region's groundwater, much of which is used for drinking water. Dairy farming at this intensity is unsustainable and if not reduced could pose a significant risk to human health and the market perception of the sustainability of the New Zealand dairy industry and its products.}, address = {}, author = {Joy, Michael K. and Rankin, Douglas A. and Wohler, Lara and Boyce, Paul and Canning, Adam and Foote, Kyleisha J. and McNie, Pierce M.}, doi = {10.1080/14486563.2022.2068685}, issn = {1448-6563}, journal = {Australasian journal of environmental management}, keywords = {Environmental Sciences & Ecology;Environmental Studies;Life Sciences & Biomedicine;Science & Technology;New Zealand;dairy production;grey water footprint;freshwater;SDG6}, language = {eng}, number = {2}, pages = {23}, publisher = {Taylor & Francis}, volume = {29}, year = {2022}, . Australasian journal of environmental management.
(2021). Pharmaceutical companies should pay for raiding nature's medicine cabinet . The Lancet.
Financial incentives for large-scale wetland restoration: Beyond markets to common asset trusts title = {Financial incentives for large-scale wetland restoration: Beyond markets to common asset trusts}, abstract = {Wetlands provide ∼$47.4 trillion/year worth of ecosystem services globally and support immense biodiversity, yet face widespread drainage and pollution, and large-scale wetlands restoration is urgently needed. Payment for ecosystem service (PES) schemes provide a viable avenue for funding large-scale wetland restoration. However, schemes around the globe differ substantially in their goals, structure, challenges, and effectiveness in supporting large-scale wetland restoration. Here, we suggest wetland-based PES schemes use common asset trusts (CATs) to build investment portfolios of wetlands across landscapes that sustain and enhance overall provision of multiple ecosystem services. CATs can meet the needs of multiple investors, permit bundled payments, and provide flexibility to invest in the restoration of numerous services/values, all using a coordinated, highly collaborative, prioritized, and transparent process. CATs would support financial viability, facilitate efficiency to reduce administrative burdens, and enable credibility and social licence building to restore wetland values and services globally.}, address = {}, author = {Canning, Adam D. and Jarvis, Diane and Costanza, Robert and Hasan, Syezlin and Smart, James C.R. and Finisdore, John and Lovelock, Catherine E. and Greenhalgh, Suzie and Marr, Helen M. and Beck, Michael W. and Gillies, Christopher L. and Waltham, Nathan J.}, doi = {10.1016/j.oneear.2021.06.006}, issn = {2590-3322}, journal = {One earth (Cambridge, Mass.)}, keywords = {carbon trading;common asset trusts;ecosystem services;habitat stamps;restoration;water quality trading;wetlands}, language = {eng}, number = {7}, pages = {937 - 950}, publisher = {Elsevier Inc}, volume = {4}, year = {2021}, . One earth (Cambridge, Mass.).
Adam D. Canning and Diane Jarvis and Robert Costanza and Syezlin Hasan and James C.R. Smart and John Finisdore and Catherine E. Lovelock and Suzie Greenhalgh and Helen M. Marr and Michael W. Beck and Christopher L. Gillies and Nathan J. Waltham(2021). Financial incentives for large-scale wetland restoration: Beyond markets to common asset trusts . One Earth. 4. (7). p. 937--950. Elsevier {BV}
Nutrient criteria to achieve New Zealand's riverine macroinvertebrate targets title = {Nutrient criteria to achieve New Zealand's riverine macroinvertebrate targets}, abstract = {Waterways worldwide are experiencing nutrient enrichment from population growth and intensive agriculture, and New Zealand is part of this global trend. Increasing fertilizer in New Zealand and intensive agriculture have driven substantial water quality declines over recent decades. A recent national directive has set environmental managers a range of riverine ecological targets, including three macroinvertebrate indicators, and requires nutrient criteria be set to support their achievement. To support these national aspirations, we use the minimization-of-mismatch analysis to derive potential nutrient criteria. Given that nutrient and macroinvertebrate monitoring often does not occur at the same sites, we compared nutrient criteria derived at sites where macroinvertebrates and nutrients are monitored concurrently with nutrient criteria derived at all macroinvertebrate monitoring sites and using modelled nutrients. To support all three macroinvertebrate targets, we suggest that suitable nutrient criteria would set median dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations at similar to 0.6 mg/L and median dissolved reactive phosphorus concentrations at similar to 0.02 mg/L. We recognize that deriving site-specific nutrient criteria requires the balancing of multiple values and consideration of multiple targets, and anticipate that criteria derived here will help and support these environmental goals.}, address = {}, author = {Canning, Adam D. and Joy, Michael K. and Death, Russell G.}, doi = {10.7717/peerj.11556}, issn = {2167-8359}, journal = {PeerJ (San Francisco, CA)}, keywords = {Multidisciplinary Sciences;Science & Technology;Ecology;Zoology;Freshwater Biology;Natural Resource Management;Environmental Impacts}, language = {eng}, pages = {20}, publisher = {Peerj Inc}, volume = {9}, year = {2021}, . PeerJ (San Francisco, CA).
Ecological impact assessment of climate change and habitat loss on wetland vertebrate assemblages of the Great Barrier Reef catchment and the influence of survey bias title = {Ecological impact assessment of climate change and habitat loss on wetland vertebrate assemblages of the Great Barrier Reef catchment and the influence of survey bias}, abstract = {Wetlands are among the most vulnerable ecosystems, stressed by habitat loss and degradation from expanding and intensifying agricultural and urban areas. Climate change will exacerbate the impacts of habitat loss by altering temperature and rainfall patterns. Wetlands within Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchment are not different, stressed by extensive cropping, urban expansion, and alteration for grazing. Understanding how stressors affect wildlife is essential for the effective management of biodiversity values and minimizing unintended consequences when trading off the multiple values wetlands support. Impact assessment is difficult, often relying on an aggregation of ad hoc observations that are spatially biased toward easily accessible areas, rather than systematic and randomized surveys. Using a large aggregate database of ad hoc observations, this study aimed to examine the influence of urban proximity on machine-learning models predicting taxonomic richness and assemblage turnover, relative to other habitat, landscape, and climate variables, for vertebrates dwelling in the wetlands of the GBR catchment. The distance from the nearest city was, by substantial margins, the most influential factor in predicting the richness and assemblage turnover of all vertebrate groups, except fish. Richness and assemblage turnover was predicted to be greatest nearest the main urban centers. The extent of various wetland habitats was highly influential in predicting the richness of all groups, while climate (predominately the rainfall in the wettest quarter) was highly influential in predicting assemblage turnover for all groups. Bias of survey records toward urban centers strongly influenced our ability to model wetland-affiliated vertebrates and may obscure our understanding of how vertebrates respond to habitat loss and climate change. This reinforces the need for randomized and systematic surveys to supplement existing ad hoc surveys. We urge modelers in other jurisdictions to better portray the potential influence of survey biases when modeling species distributions.}, address = {}, author = {Canning, Adam D. and Waltham, Nathan J.}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.7412}, issn = {2045-7758}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, keywords = {Ecology;Environmental Sciences & Ecology;Evolutionary Biology;Life Sciences & Biomedicine;Science & Technology;Climate change;Great Barrier Reef;Species distribution modeling;Survey bias ;Wetland loss }, language = {eng}, number = {10}, pages = {11}, publisher = {Wiley}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, . Ecology and evolution.
Adam D. Canning and Nathan J. Waltham(2021). Ecological impact assessment of climate change and habitat loss on wetland vertebrate assemblages of the Great Barrier Reef catchment and the influence of survey bias . Ecology and Evolution. 11. (10). p. 5244--5254. Wiley
Shifting baselines and political expediency in New Zealand's freshwater management title = {Shifting baselines and political expediency in New Zealand's freshwater management}, abstract = {The New Zealand government has been praised for heeding scientific advice in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but when it comes to environmental protections the scientific advice seems to be negotiable. Freshwaters have been in decline for decades, despite clear science on limits needed to protect them. There are many examples of 'shifting baselines', where limits have been progressively weakened through agency regulatory capture and political expediency.}, author = {Joy, M. K. and Canning, A. D.}, doi = {10.1071/MF20210}, issn = {1323-1650}, journal = {Marine and freshwater research}, keywords = {Fisheries;Life Sciences & Biomedicine;Limnology;Marine & Freshwater Biology;Oceanography;Physical Sciences;Science & Technology;Agency capture; Freshwater management;New Zealand;Nutrients;Political expediency}, language = {eng}, number = {4}, pages = {6}, publisher = {Csiro Publishing}, volume = {72}, year = {2021}, . Marine and freshwater research.
Adam D. Canning and Russell G. Death(2021). The influence of nutrient enrichment on riverine food web function and stability . Ecology and Evolution. 11. (2). p. 942--954. Wiley
The influence of nutrient enrichment on riverine food web function and stability title = {The influence of nutrient enrichment on riverine food web function and stability}, abstract = {Nutrient enrichment of rivers and lakes has been increasing rapidly over the past few decades, primarily because of agricultural intensification. Although nutrient enrichment is known to drive excessive algal and microbial growth, which can directly and indirectly change the ecological community composition, the resulting changes in food web emergent properties are poorly understood. We used ecological network analysis (ENA) to examine the emergent properties of 12 riverine food webs across a nutrient enrichment gradient in the Manawatu, New Zealand. We also derive Keystone Sensitivity Indices to explore whether nutrients change the trophic importance of species in a way that alters the resilience of the communities to further nutrient enrichment or floods. Nutrient enrichment resulted in communities composed of energy inefficient species with high community (excluding microbes) respiration. Community respiration was several times greater in enriched communities, and this may drive hypoxic conditions even without concomitant changes in microbial respiration. Enriched communities exhibited weaker trophic cascades, which may yield greater robustness to energy flow loss. Interestingly, enriched communities were also more structurally and functionally affected by species sensitive to flow disturbance making these communities more vulnerable to floods. The food webs of rivers across a nutrient gradient were examined. Enriched webs are likely to be more stable to random disturbances, but less stable to disturbance from floods or further nutrient enrichment. Enriched webs were also composed of relatively inefficient species that showed substantially greater community respiration.}, address = {}, author = {Canning, Adam D. and Death, Russell G.}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.7107}, issn = {2045-7758}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, keywords = {ecological network;energy flow;food web;indirect effects;mutualism;nutrients;Original Research;productivity;respiration;river;stability}, language = {eng}, number = {2}, pages = {942 - 954}, publisher = {John Wiley and Sons Inc}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, . Ecology and evolution.
M. K. Joy and A. D. Canning(2021). Shifting baselines and political expediency in New Zealand . Marine and Freshwater Research. 72. (4). p. 456. {CSIRO} Publishing
Canning AD, Joy MK, Death RG. 2021. Nutrient criteria to achieve New Zealand’s riverine macroinvertebrate targets. PeerJ 9:e11556 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11556 .
Canning, A.D., Death, R.G.(2021). The influence of nutrient enrichment on riverine food web function and stability . Ecology and Evolution. 11. (2). p. 942-954.
Canning, A.D., Waltham, N.J.(2021). Ecological impact assessment of climate change and habitat loss on wetland vertebrate assemblages of the Great Barrier Reef catchment and the influence of survey bias . Ecology and Evolution. 11. (10). p. 5244-5254.
Canning, A.D., Joy, M.K., Death, R.G.(2021). Nutrient criteria to achieve New Zealand's riverine macroinvertebrate targets . PeerJ. 9.
Canning, A.D., Death, R.G., Waltham, N.J.(2021). Pharmaceutical companies should pay for raiding nature's medicine cabinet . The Lancet. 398. (10303). p. 840-841.
Canning, A.D., Jarvis, D., Costanza, R., Hasan, S., Smart, J.C.R., Finisdore, J., Lovelock, C.E., Greenhalgh, S., Marr, H.M., Beck, M.W., et al.(2021). Financial incentives for large-scale wetland restoration: Beyond markets to common asset trusts . One Earth. 4. (7). p. 937-950.
Joy, M.K., Canning, A.D.(2021). Shifting baselines and political expediency in New Zealand's freshwater management . Marine and Freshwater Research. 72. (4). p. 456-461.
Does land use affect pathogen presence in New Zealand drinking water supplies? title = {Does land use affect pathogen presence in New Zealand drinking water supplies?}, abstract = {Four microbes (Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli, Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp.) were monitored in 16 waterways that supply public drinking water for 13 New Zealand towns and cities. Over 500 samples were collected from the abstraction point at each study site every three months between 2009 and 2019. The waterways represent a range from small to large, free flowing to reservoir impoundments, draining catchments of entirely native vegetation to those dominated by pastoral agriculture. We used machine learning algorithms to explore the relative contribution of land use, catchment geology, vegetation, topography, and water quality characteristics of the catchment to determining the abundance and/or presence of each microbe. Sites on rivers draining predominantly agricultural catchments, the Waikato River, Oroua River and Waiorohi Stream had all four microbes present, often in high numbers, throughout the sampling interval. Other sites, such as the Hutt River and Big Huia Creek in Wellington which drain catchments of native vegetation, never had pathogenic microbes detected, or unsafe levels of E. coli. Boosted Regression Tree models could predict abundances and presence/absence of all four microbes with good precision using a wide range of potential environmental predictors covering land use, geology, vegetation, topography, and nutrient concentrations. Models were more accurate for protozoa than bacteria but did not differ markedly in their ability to predict abundance or presence/absence. Environmental drivers of microbe abundance or presence/absence also differed depending on whether the microbe was protozoan or bacterial. Protozoa were more prevalent in waterways with lower water quality, higher numbers of ruminants in the catchment, and in September and December. Bacteria were more abundant with higher rainfall, saturated soils, and catchments with greater than 35% of the land in agriculture. Although modern water treatment protocols will usually remove many pathogens from drinking water, several recent outbreaks of waterborne disease due to treatment failures, have highlighted the need to manage water supplies on multiple fronts. This research has identified potential catchment level variables, and thresholds, that could be better managed to reduce the potential for pathogens to enter drinking water supplies.}, address = {}, author = {Phiri, Bernard J. and Pita, Anthony B. and Hayman, David T.S. and Biggs, Patrick.J. and Davis, Meredith T. and Fayaz, Ahmed and Canning, Adam D. and French, Nigel P. and Death, Russell G.}, doi = {10.1016/j.watres.2020.116229}, issn = {0043-1354}, journal = {Water research (Oxford)}, keywords = {Waterways ;Public drinking water ;Agriculture;Pathogens}, language = {eng}, publisher = {Elsevier Ltd}, volume = {185}, year = {2020}, . Water research (Oxford).
Bernard J. Phiri and Anthony B. Pita and David T.S. Hayman and Patrick.J. Biggs and Meredith T. Davis and Ahmed Fayaz and Adam D. Canning and Nigel P. French and Russell G. Death(2020). Does land use affect pathogen presence in New Zealand drinking water supplies? . Water Research. 185. p. 116229. Elsevier {BV}
Phiri, B.J., Pita, A.B., Hayman, D.T.S., Biggs, P.J., Davis, M.T., Fayaz, A., Canning, A.D., French, N.P., Death, R.G.(2020). Does land use affect pathogen presence in New Zealand drinking water supplies? . Water Research. 185.
M. K. Joy and A. D. Canning(2020). Shifting baselines and political expediency in New Zealand . Marine and Freshwater Research. {CSIRO} Publishing
Adam Douglas Canning and Russell George Death(2019). FOOD WEB STRUCTURE BUT NOT ROBUSTNESS DIFFER BETWEEN RIVERS, LAKES AND ESTUARIES . Oecologia Australis. 23. (01). p. 112--126. Oecologia Australis
Adam D. Canning and Russell G. Death and Erna M. Gardner(2019). Forest canopy affects stream macroinvertebrate assemblage structure but not trophic stability . Freshwater Science. 38. (1). p. 40--52. University of Chicago Press
Adam D. Canning and Russell G. Death and Erna M. Gardner(2019). Forest canopy affects stream macroinvertebrate assemblage structure but not trophic stability . Freshwater Science. 38. (1). p. 40--52. University of Chicago Press
Forest canopy affects stream macroinvertebrate assemblage structure but not trophic stability title = {Forest canopy affects stream macroinvertebrate assemblage structure but not trophic stability}, abstract = {Understanding the determinates of community structure and function is a central theme in community ecology. The form in which energy is supplied to food webs can strongly influence community structure and function. Trophic stability is also thought to be affected by the nature of food web energy pathways and whether they are external (allochthonous) or internal (autochthonous) to the ecosystem. In this study, we assessed whether stream invertebrate assemblages differ in taxonomic composition, energetic network structure, trophic network stability, and assemblage temporal variability based on whether the streams they occupy occur under forested canopies or in open grasslands. We assumed that forested sites would receive more allochthonous inputs, whereas grassland sites would rely more on autochthonous resources. We also tested whether food web stability (robustness, the conservation of energy flow) changed after simulated species extinctions. We found that the forest stream assemblages were dominated by filter feeders and shredders, whereas the grassland assemblages were dominated by grazers. In spite of these differences in assemblage composition, we found no significant differences in trophic network structure, stability, or temporal variability among different site types. Many stream systems, particularly in mountainous areas, such as New Zealand, are exposed to regular and large physical disturbance from flooding, which may result in assemblages with similarly generic diets irrespective of the energy source.}, address = {}, author = {Canning, Adam D. and Death, Russell G. and Gardner, Erna M.}, doi = {10.1086/701378}, issn = {2161-9549}, journal = {Freshwater science}, keywords = {Ecology;Environmental Sciences & Ecology;Life Sciences & Biomedicine;Marine & Freshwater Biology;Science & Technology;Riparian;Stability;Macroinvertebrate;Community;Stream;Land use ;Allochthonous;Autochthonous;Robustness ;Trophic Network}, language = {eng}, number = {1}, pages = {13}, publisher = {Univ Chicago Press}, volume = {38}, year = {2019}, . Freshwater science.
Canning, A.D., Death, R.G., Gardner, E.M.(2019). Forest canopy affects stream macroinvertebrate assemblage structure but not trophic stability . Freshwater Science. 38. (1). p. 40-52.
Relative ascendency predicts food web robustness title = {Relative ascendency predicts food web robustness}, abstract = {Threats to ecosystems globally from anthropogenic disturbance and climate change requires us to urgently identify the most sensitive biological communities to ensure they are effectively preserved. It is for this reason that understanding and predicting food web stability has been topical within ecology. Food web stability is a multi‐faceted concept that represents the ability of a food web to maintain its integrity following disturbance, it includes resistance, resilience and fragility. In this study, we examine the ability of four food web metrics to predict the fragility to random species extinctions in 120 qualitative food webs. We show that three information‐based indices out performed food web connectance in predicting fragility, with relative ascendency having the strongest relationship. Relative ascendency was a much stronger predictor of fragility than MacArthur's stability metric, Average Mutual Information and connectance as it accounted for both the distribution and number of links between species. We also find that most qualitative food webs persist around a central tendency of relative ascendency.}, address = {}, author = {Canning, Adam Douglas and Death, Russell George}, doi = {10.1007/s11284-018-1585-1}, issn = {0912-3814}, journal = {Ecological research}, keywords = {Ascendency;Connectance;Food web;Stability;Trophic cascade}, language = {eng}, number = {5}, pages = {6}, publisher = {Springer Japan}, volume = {33}, year = {2018}, . Ecological research.
Adam Douglas Canning and Russell George Death(2018). Relative ascendency predicts food web robustness . Ecological Research. 33. (5). p. 873--878. Wiley
Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblages title = {Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblages}, abstract = {Biomonitoring is a common method to monitor environmental change in river ecosystems, a key advantage of biomonitoring over snap-shot physicochemical monitoring is that it provides a more stable, long-term insight into change that is also effects-based. In New Zealand, the main biomonitoring method is a macroinvertebrate sensitivity scoring index, with little established methods available for biomonitoring of fish. This study models the contemporary distribution of common freshwater fish and then uses those models to predict freshwater fish assemblages for each river reach under reference conditions. Comparison of current fish assemblages with those predicted in reference conditions (as observed/expected (O/E) ratios) may provide a suitable option for freshwater fish biomonitoring. Most of the fish communities throughout the central North Island and lower reaches show substantial deviation from the modelled reference community. Most of this deviation is explained by nutrient enrichment, followed by downstream barriers (i.e. dams) and loss of riparian vegetation. The presence of modelled introduced species had relatively little impact on the presence of the modelled native fish. The maps of O/E fish assemblage may provide a rapid way to identify potential restoration sites.}, address = {}, author = {Canning, Adam D.}, doi = {10.7717/peerj.4890}, issn = {2167-8359}, journal = {PeerJ (San Francisco, CA)}, keywords = {Multidisciplinary Sciences;Science & Technology;Science & Technology - Other Topics;Aquaculture;Fisheries and Fish Science; Ecosystem Science; Freshwater Biology;Natural Resource Management;Environmental Impacts}, language = {eng}, pages = {17}, publisher = {Peerj Inc}, volume = {6}, year = {2018}, . PeerJ (San Francisco, CA).
Adam D. Canning(2018). Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblages . PeerJ. 6. p. e4890. {PeerJ}
A. D. Canning and R. G. Death and E. M. Gardner(2018). The effect of forest canopy and flood disturbance on New Zealand stream food web structure and robustness . Austral Ecology. 43. (3). p. 352--358. Wiley
The effect of forest canopy and flood disturbance on New Zealand stream food web structure and robustness title = {The effect of forest canopy and flood disturbance on New Zealand stream food web structure and robustness}, abstract = {The effects of disturbance on communities have been a focus of both theoretical and empirical inquiries for many years. Food web stability is hypothesized to be affected by disturbance and the nature of the energy pathways (i.e. allochthonous or autochthonous) of a community. In this study, we investigated whether food webs at paired sites, one in forest and the other in grassland, in ten New Zealand streams along a disturbance gradient differ in their topological structure and robustness. Food web robustness (an indicator of web resistance) assesses the ease with which secondary extinctions permeate the food web following an initial random extinction (disturbance). We found that neither the nature of the energy source nor physical disturbance affected structural metrics or web robustness. As stream systems, particularly in New Zealand, are exposed to regular, unpredictable and dramatic physical disturbance from flooding, it may simply be that the floods result in generalist species dominating and increasing robustness irrespective of the energy source.}, address = {}, author = {Canning, A. D. and Death, R. G. and Gardner, E. M.}, doi = {10.1111/aec.12573}, issn = {1442-9985}, journal = {Austral ecology}, keywords = {Ecology;Environmental Sciences & Ecology;Life Sciences & Biomedicine;Science & Technology;allochthonous;disturbance;food web;riparian;robustness;stability;stream}, language = {eng}, number = {3}, pages = {7}, publisher = {Wiley}, volume = {43}, year = {2018}, . Austral ecology.
Canning, A.D., Death, R.G.(2018). Relative ascendency predicts food web robustness . Ecological Research. 33. (5). p. 873-878.
Canning, A.D.(2018). Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblages . PeerJ. 2018. (5).
Canning, A.D., Death, R.G., Gardner, E.M.(2018). The effect of forest canopy and flood disturbance on New Zealand stream food web structure and robustness . Austral Ecology. 43. (3). p. 352-358.
Trophic cascade direction and flow determine network flow stability title = {Trophic cascade direction and flow determine network flow stability}, abstract = {The mechanisms for maintenance of food web structure and function in the face of frequent disturbance has been a question in ecology for many years. Local point-wise stability of theoretical food webs or robustness assessment of empirical binary food webs are the two principal techniques that have been used to address this question. However, many theoretical webs are often small, constructed randomly or from theoretical algorithms (such as Cascade or Niche models), and assume Lotka-Volterra dynamics. Whilst the binary webs used also assume all interactions are equal and that webs are donor controlled. Recent dynamic stability analysis of empirical quantitative webs has sought to improve this assessment. Here we investigate how aquatic food web structure and the direction of trophic cascades interact to affect the robustness of total carbon flow between species after a disturbance. The robustness of the 18 food webs is higher if predator control dominates. Webs with predator control were however stabilised by weak indirect interactions and short food chains.}, address = {}, author = {Canning, A. D. and Death, R. G.}, doi = {10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.03.020}, issn = {0304-3800}, journal = {Ecological modelling}, keywords = {Ecology;Environmental Sciences & Ecology;Life Sciences & Biomedicine;Science & Technology}, language = {eng}, pages = {6}, publisher = {Elsevier}, volume = {355}, year = {2017}, . Ecological modelling.
A.D. Canning and R.G. Death(2017). Trophic cascade direction and flow determine network flow stability . Ecological Modelling. 355. p. 18--23. Elsevier {BV}
Canning, A.D., Death, R.G.(2017). Trophic cascade direction and flow determine network flow stability . Ecological Modelling. 355. p. 18-23.
BOOK CHAPTER
More Intense Severe Tropical Cyclones in Recent Decades Cause Greater Impacts on Mangroves Bordering Australia's Great Barrier Reef title = {More Intense Severe Tropical Cyclones in Recent Decades Cause Greater Impacts on Mangroves Bordering Australia's Great Barrier Reef}, abstract = {A number of published articles about the environmental impacts of climate change indicate that mangrove habitats are prone to greater damage from increasingly more intense tropical cyclones in recent decades. We review such concerns by investigating the impacts of severe tropical cyclones (STCs) on shoreline mangroves bordering Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Specifically, we consider the STCs that have crossed the coastline during the last half century. There were 11 STCs between 1987 and 2020. Available satellite data were used to quantify the extent and severity of damage to mangroves for each event, along with an appraisal of recovery. There were several significant findings. Firstly, we found that STC events had occurred widely across the GBR area from Torres Strait to the Tropic of Capricorn. Secondly, we observed notable increases in both the number and intensity of STCs. This was especially notable in the recent decade (2010-2019) with 7 in this decade compared to the 0-2 per decade recorded earlier. This observation was significant because the damage to shoreline mangroves increased markedly in unison with the increased intensity of recent STCs. We also observed that some sites suffered repeated impacts from 2-3 STCs during the study period. These impacts were accumulative, further delaying and disrupting recovery. Although natural recovery was shown to be efficient, the innate processes involved means that it was linear by taking set amounts of time. This situation presents natural resource managers with the well-known paradoxical dilemma of how to sustain natural ecosystems faced with unprecedented, ever-increasing external pressures. It seems that the longer-term survival of mangrove ecosystems in the GBR area are becoming more dependent on adaptive management requiring threat minimisation while finding more effective ways to strengthen habitat resilience. In view of the rapidly changing environmental conditions, this study demonstrates the considerable insights to be drawn from monitoring these valued coastal marine resources that is one of the dominant change-driving processes.}, address = {Boca Raton}, author = {Duke, Norman C. and Canning, Adam D. and Mackenzie, Jock R.}, booktitle = {Oceanographic Processes of Coral Reefs}, edition = {2}, editor = {Wolanski, Eric and Kingsford, Michael J.}, doi = {10.1201/9781003320425-18}, isbn = {9781003320425}, language = {eng}, pages = {226 - 253}, publisher = {CRC Press}, year = {2024}, . Oceanographic Processes of Coral Reefs.
Adam D. Canning and Russell G. Death(2019). Ecosystem Health Indicators—Freshwater Environments . Encyclopedia of Ecology. p. 46--60. Elsevier
Ecosystem Health Indicators—Freshwater Environments title = {Ecosystem Health Indicators—Freshwater Environments}, abstract = {Freshwater environments around the globe are under threat from increasing anthropogenic stress, including nutrient enrichment, urbanization, industrial waste, deforestation, water abstraction, flood prevention engineering, sedimentation, dam construction, climate change and invasive species. If freshwater ecosystem health is to be safeguarded, then measuring and monitoring change will be critical for effective management. Ecosystem health is the maintenance of structure and function in the face of external stress, this includes both biotic and abiotic components. This chapter summarizes the main groups of indicators commonly used to assess ecosystem health.}, address = {}, author = {Canning, Adam D. and Death, Russell G.}, booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Ecology}, edition = {Second Edition}, doi = {10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.10617-7}, isbn = {0444641300}, keywords = {Algae;Biotic integrity indices;Ecosystem function;Ecosystem health;Ecosystem metabolism;Exergy;Fish;Freshwater;Invertebrates;Network metrics;Physicochemical habitat;Relative ascendency;Species diversity;Species tolerance indicators}, language = {eng}, pages = {46 - 60}, publisher = {Elsevier B.V}, year = {2019}, . Encyclopedia of Ecology.
REPORT
Financial incentive schemes to fund wetland restoration across the GBR catchment title = {Financial incentive schemes to fund wetland restoration across the GBR catchment}, abstract = {Project 4.10 Evaluating the costs and benefits of agricultural land conversion to wetlands.The local Riversdale-Murray Valley Water Management Scheme, and other schemes abroad, that fund the restoration of wetlands for their ecosystem services were evaluated to inform a future scheme for the GBR catchment. • The Riversdale-Murray Scheme funded wetlands have improved crop yield and water quality, and support the barramundi fishery, biodiversity and landowner wellbeing. The majority of the financial benefit to farmers is likely to come from increased production from improved drainage across the farm and, to a lesser extent, elevation of low-lying fields. Improved drainage and elevation allowed increased cane productivity on land that was previously used for low production cane or cattle grazing. • Many schemes seeking to financially incentivise wetland restoration for the ecosystem services they provide often struggle with achieving financial viability, establishing credibility through effective verification and accounting, and balancing trade-offs to establish and maintain a social license to operate. • Future schemes funding the restoration of wetland-based ecosystem services should have clear objectives; well-informed trade-offs; centrally coordinated landscape-scale planning with strategic positioning and designs; high stakeholder engagement and indigenous partnership; pool funding for multiple ecosystem services; make bundled payments based on wetland provision rather service provisioning; provide ‘how to guides’ to landowners on wetland restoration for services; use simple, cost-effective assessments with models; and maintain an assessment and transaction database. • We propose a Great Barrier Reef Catchment Wetland Investment Fund, operating as a common asset trust, to invest in a portfolio of wetland restoration projects with the overall aim of maximising the return on investment of overall ecosystem services.}, address = {}, author = {Waltham, Nathan J and Canning, Adam and Smart, James C R and Hasan, Syezlin and Curwen, Graeme and Butler, Barry}, doi = {10.13140/rg.2.2.36803.94247}, isbn = {9781925514964}, language = {eng}, pages = {104}, publisher = {Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Limited}, year = {2021}, .
Exploring the potential of watercourse repair on an agricultural floodplain title = {Exploring the potential of watercourse repair on an agricultural floodplain}, abstract = {Project 5.13: Coastal wetland systems repair across GBR catchments: values based causal framework validation.The Burdekin floodplain includes Australia’s largest sugarcane production district. Concomitant with sugarcane development, the floodplain and waterways are in poor ecological condition, with altered hydrology, poor water quality, and extensive invasive weeds and noxoius fish. Considerable effort continues to be made on reversing the decline in waterquality reaching the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), particularly the Bowling Green Bay Ramsar wetland located along the coastal strip. The floodplain now comprises a highly modifieddistribution network used to move Burdekin dam water, which is turbid, across the floodplain to provide shallow groundwater aquifer recharge and surface water resources for two distinct sugarcane irrigation schemes. The floodplain has been the subject of research and restoration for many years, however, it remains in poor condition. This case study took the opportunity to partner with major restoration activities under the direction of local restoration practitioners charged with managing overall threats on the floodplain, in an effort to restore the services and values possible. This case study supports and builds on limnological knowledge on the floodplain (see Davis et al., 2014 review). }, address = {}, author = {Waltham, Nathan and Canning, Adam}, doi = {10.13140/rg.2.2.30625.53606}, isbn = {9781925514759}, language = {eng}, pages = {82}, publisher = {Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Limited}, year = {2021}, .
Canning, Adam(2020). Nutrients in New Zealand Rivers and Streams: An exploration and derivation of national nutrient criteria . figshare