David Summers

Dr David Summers

School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

College of Science

Dr David Summers is a geographer and spatial scientist specialising in environmental accounting, integrated modelling and airborne and satellite earth observation. He is currently a post-doctoral researcher at UniSA Business and a member of the Centre for Markets, Values and Inclusion.
David completed his PhD in environmental science at the University of Adelaide in 2009. From 2010 to 2014 he was a post-doctoral fellow at CSIRO Ecosystem Services where his work included modelling natural and agricultural systems and integrated landscape modelling for decision making. From 2014 to 2017 David was a research fellow in the Water and Landscape Dynamics Group in the Fenner School of Environment and Society. There he worked to incorporate satellite observations into environmental accounts and was part of the team that developed the Australia’s Environment Explorer.
In his current role David works with research partners in NSW to develop cost-effective and beneficial greenhouse gas abatement opportunities for the agricultural sector. This work involves biophysical and economic modelling of agricultural systems including ecosystem services such as carbon abatement, biodiversity conservation and land degradation.

Year Citation
2025 Gao, Y., Connor, J., Summers, D., Luo, L., Waters, C., & Cowie, A. (2025). Carbon farming co-benefits optimization in south-eastern Australian rangeland. Journal of Environmental Management, 382(125315), 125315-1-125315-15.
DOI Scopus1
2024 Regan, C. M., Connor, J. D., Summers, D. M., Mackay, W., & Gao, Y. (2024). Can Australian plantation forest carbon offset methods increase carbon storage and timber supply? A case study from the Green Triangle plantation forestry region in Australia. Journal of Environmental Management, 370(122632), 14 pages.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2024 Luo, L., Gao, Y., Regan, C. M., Summers, D. M., Connor, J. D., O'Hehir, J., . . . Chow, C. W. K. (2024). Emissions offset incentives, carbon storage and profit optimization for Australian timber plantations. Forest Policy and Economics, 159(139814), 1-12.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3
2024 Archibald, C. L., Summers, D. M., Graham, E. M., & Bryan, B. A. (2024). Habitat suitability maps for Australian flora and fauna under CMIP6 climate scenarios. Gigascience, 13, 13 pages.
DOI Scopus5 WoS6 Europe PMC3
2023 Lyle, G., Clarke, K., Kilpatrick, A., Summers, D. M., & Ostendorf, B. (2023). A Spatial and Temporal Evaluation of Broad-Scale Yield Predictions Created from Yield Mapping Technology and Landsat Satellite Imagery in the Australian Mediterranean Dryland Cropping Region. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 12(2), 50.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4
2022 Hume, I. V., Summers, D. M., & Cavagnaro, T. R. (2022). Lawn with a side salad: rainwater harvesting for self-sufficiency through urban agriculture. Sustainable Cities and Society, 87(article no. 104249), 1-15.
DOI Scopus13 WoS11
2022 Connor, J. D., Summers, D., Regan, C., Abbott, H., Van Der Linden, L., & Frizenschaf, J. (2022). Sensitivity analysis in economic evaluation of payments for water and carbon ecosystem services. Ecosystem Services, 54(101416), 13 pages.
DOI Scopus10 WoS7
2022 Wang, B., Waters, C., Anwar, M. R., Cowie, A., Liu, D. L., Summers, D., . . . Feng, P. (2022). Future climate impacts on forest growth and implications for carbon sequestration through reforestation in southeast Australia. Journal of Environmental Management, 302(113964), 1-12.
DOI Scopus31 Europe PMC5
2021 Hume, I. V., Summers, D. M., & Cavagnaro, T. R. (2021). Self-sufficiency through urban agriculture: Nice idea or plausible reality?. Sustainable Cities and Society, 68(102770), 102770.
DOI Scopus51 WoS46
2021 Summers, D., Regan, C., Settre, C., Connor, J., O'Connor, P., Abbott, H., . . . Cavagnaro, T. R. (2021). Current carbon prices don't stack up to much land use change, despite bundled ecosystem service co-benefits. Glob Chang Biol, 27(12), 2744-2762.
DOI Scopus12 WoS11 Europe PMC2
2020 Regan, C. M., Connor, J. D., Summers, D. M., Settre, C., O'Connor, P. J., & Cavagnaro, T. R. (2020). The influence of crediting and permanence periods on Australian forest-based carbon offset supply. Land Use Policy, 97(104800), 1-9.
DOI Scopus28 WoS22
2017 Wardell, R., Clements, A. C. A., Lal, A., Summers, D., Llewellyn, S., Campbell, S. J., . . . Nery, S. V. (2017). An environmental assessment and risk map of Ascaris lumbricoides and Necator americanus distributions in Manufahi District, Timor-Leste. PL o S Neglected Tropical Diseases, 11(5), 1-19.
DOI
2016 Meyer, W., Bryan, B., Summers, D., Lyle, G., Wells, S., McLean, J., & Siebentritt, M. (2016). Regional engagement and spatial modelling for natural resource management planning. Sustainability Science, 11(5), 733-747.
DOI Scopus15 WoS13 Europe PMC1
2015 Summers, D., Bryan, B., Meyer, W., Lyle, G., Wells, S., McLean, J., . . . Siebentritt, M. (2015). Simple models for managing complex social-ecological systems: the Landscape Futures Analysis Tool (LFAT). Environmental Modelling & Software, 63, 217-229.
DOI Scopus19 WoS18
2015 Summers, D. M., Bryan, B. A., Nolan, M., & Hobbs, T. J. (2015). The costs of reforestation: a spatial model of the costs of establishing environmental and carbon plantings. Land Use Policy, 44, 110-121.
DOI
2014 Bryan, B. A., Nolan, M., Harwood, T. D., Connor, J. D., Navarro-Garcia, J., King, D., . . . Hatfield-Dodds, S. (2014). Supply of carbon sequestration and biodiversity services from Australia's agricultural land under global change. Global Environmental Change, 28(1), 166-181.
DOI Scopus69 WoS62
2013 Bryan, B., Meyer, W., Campbell, C., Harris, G., Lefroy, T., Lyle, G., . . . Young, M. (2013). The second industrial transformation of Australian landscapes. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 5(3-4), 278-287.
DOI Scopus32 WoS27
2013 Mahmoudi, P., Hatton MacDonald, D., Crossman, N., Summers, D., & Van Der Hoek, J. (2013). Space matters: the importance of amenity in planning metropolitan growth. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 57(1), 38-59.
DOI Scopus25 WoS24
2013 Setia, R., Lewis, M., Marschner, P., Raja Segaran, R., Summers, D., & Chittleborough, D. (2013). Severity of salinity accurately detected and classified on a paddock scale with high resolution multispectral satellite imgery. Land Degradation & Development, 24(4), 375-384.
DOI Scopus39 WoS30
2012 Summers, D., Bryan, B., Crossman, N., & Meyer, W. (2012). Species vulnerability to climate change: impacts on spatial conservation priorities and species representation. Global Change Biology, 18(7), 2335-2348.
DOI Scopus93 WoS82
2012 Summers, D. M., Bryan, B. A., Crossman, N. D., & Meyer, W. S. (2012). Species vulnerability to climate change: Impacts on spatial conservation priorities and species representation. Global Change Biology, 18(10), 3268.
DOI Scopus43 WoS40
2012 Crossman, N. D., Bryan, B. A., & Summers, D. M. (2012). Identifying priority areas for reducing species vulnerability to climate change. Diversity and Distributions: a journal of conservation biogeography, 18(1), 60-72.
DOI
2011 Summers, D., Lewis, M., Ostendorf, B., & Chittleborough, D. (2011). Unmixing of soil types and estimation of soil exposure with simulated hyperspectral imagery. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 32(21), 6507-6526.
DOI Scopus6 WoS5
2011 Summers, D., Lewis, M., Ostendorf, B., & Chittleborough, D. (2011). Visible near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy as a predictive indicator of soil properties. Ecological Indicators, 11(1), 123-131.
DOI Scopus203 WoS173
2011 Crossman, N. D., Bryan, B. A., & Summers, D. M. (2011). Carbon Payments and Low-Cost Conservation. Conservation Biology, 25(4), 835-845.
DOI
2010 Hatton MacDonald, D., Crossman, N., Mahmoudi, P., Taylor, L., Summers, D., & Boxall, P. (2010). The value of public and private green spaces under water restrictions. Landscape and Urban Planning, 95(4), 192-200.
DOI Scopus45 WoS43
2010 Crossman, N. D., Connor, J. D., Bryan, B. A., Summers, D. M., & Ginnivan, J. (2010). Reconfiguring an irrigation landscape to improve provision of ecosystem services. Ecological Economics, 69(5), 1031-1042.
DOI Scopus54 WoS44

Year Citation
2019 Regan, C. M., Connor, J. D., Settre, C., Summers, D. M., & Cavagnaro, T. (2019). Assessing South Australian carbon offset supply and cost. Australia: Goyder Institute.
2019 Summers, D. M., Regan, C., Connor, J., & Cavagnaro, T. (2019). Assessing South Australian carbon offset supply and policy for co-beneficial offsets: shelter belts for lamb mortality reduction. Australia: Goyder Institute for Water Research.
2019 O'Connor, P., Summers, D., Connor, J., Stirling, E., & Cavagnaro, T. (2019). Assessing South Australian carbon offset supply and policy for co-beneficial offsets: policy context. Australia: Goyder Institute for Water Research.
2019 Summers, D. M., Regan, C., Connor, J., O'Connor, P., Lowe, A., & Cavagnaro, T. (2019). Assessing South Australian carbon offset supply and policy for co-beneficial offsets: Pollination service supply in lucerne seed production. Australia: Goyder Institute for Water Research.
2019 Connor, J., Summers, D., Regan, C., Abbott, H., Frizenschaf, J., & van der Linden, L. (2019). The economics of riparian plantings for carbon and water quality benefit in the Mount Lofty Ranges. Australia: Goyder Institute for Water Research.
2015 Hatfield Dodds, S., McKellar, L., Brinsmead, T., Bryan, B. A., Connor, J., Summers, D., & Whetton, P. (2015). Australian National Outlook 2015 technical report: economic activity, resource use, environmental performance and living standards, 1970-2050. Australia: CSIRO.
DOI
2013 Summers, D. M., Bryan, B. A., Lyle, G., Wells, S., McLean, J., Siebentritt, M., . . . Meyer, W. (2013). Simple models in planning for a multifunctional landscape under changing market and climate conditions: Event/exhibition information: MODSIM 2013 20th International Congress on Modelling and Simulation: Adapting to change: the multiple roles of modelling, Adelaide, Australia, 01/12/2013-06/12/2013
Source details - Title: MODSIM 2013 20th International Congress on Modelling and Simulation: Adapting to change: the multiple roles of modelling. Australia: Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand Inc..
2013 Meyer, W., Bryan, B., Lyle, G., McLean, J., Moon, T., Siebentritt, M., . . . Wells, R. (2013). Adapted future landscapes - from aspiration to implementation. Gold Coast, Queensland: National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility.
2013 Meyer, W. (2013). Adapted future landscapes: User guide. Queensland, Australia: National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility.
2012 Meyer, W. S., Bryan, B., Connor, J., Davenport, D., Fordham, A., Gonzales, R., . . . Turner, D. (2012). Climate change, community and environment: building research capability to identify climate change vulnerability and adaptation options for South Australian landscapes. Australia: University of Adelaide.
2011 Kellett, B., Summers, D., Barnett, K., Siebentritt, M., Meyer, W., & Spoehr, J. (2011). Adaptation and emerging opportunities for the SA Murray-Darling region. Milestone 2 Report. Australia: University of Adelaide.
2011 Summers, D., Siebentritt, M., Sharley, T., Meyer, M., Bryan, B., Connor, J., & Spoehr, J. (2011). Climate change impact assessment report for the SA Murray-Darling region. Milestone 3 report. Australia: University of Adelaide.
2010 Meyer, W., Siebentritt, M., Hayman, P., Alexander, B., Kellett, B., Summers, D., . . . Lyle, G. (2010). Strengthening basin communities program - climate change impact assessment, adaptation and emerging opportunities for the SA Murray-Darling Basin. Australia: University of Adelaide.
2010 Crossman, N. D., Summers, D. M., & Bryan, B. A. (2010). Opportunities and threats for South Australia's agricultural landscapes from reforestation under a carbon market. Australia: CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems.

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2025 External Supervisor Local Community Perceptions of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility Program in East Kalimantan. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Marcellinus Mandira Budi Utomo

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2020 - 2024 External Supervisor A Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Urban Agriculture Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Isobel Violet Hume

Connect With Me

External Profiles

Other Links