Matthew Johnson

Contact

• workRoom C25 Sir Clive Granger Building
  University Park
  Nottingham
  NG7 2RD
  UK
• work0115 95 15498
• M.Johnson@nottingham.ac.uk

Teaching Summary

Matt teaching reflects his research experience, being focused on river processes and management. Matt's modules include field trips to rivers across the UK, where students can engage with management… read more

Research Summary

Matt is a fluvial geomorphologist with an interest in how aquatic organisms occupy, utilise and modify environments. He works at the interface of hydrology, geomorphology and ecology is currently… read more

Recent Publications

• SARTORIUS A, JOHNSON M, YOUNG S, BENNETT M, BAIKER K, EDWARDS P and YON L, 2022. Human health implications from consuming eggs produced near a derelict metalliferous mine: a case study Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A. 12
• KUMAR A, GOSLING SN, JOHNSON MF, JONES MD, ZAHERPOUR J, KUMAR R, LENG G, SCHMIED HM, KUPZIG J, BREUER L, HANASAKI N, TANG Q, OSTBERG S, STACKE T, POKHREL Y, WADA Y and MASAKI Y, 2022. Multi-model evaluation of catchment- and global-scale hydrological model simulations of drought characteristics across eight large river catchments: Advances in Water Resources Advances in Water Resources. 165, 104212
• LIU, D, GUO, Z.F., CHAN, F.K.S., XU, Y., JOHNSON, M.F. and ZHU, G.Y., 2022. Widespread occurrence of microplastics in marine bays with diverse drivers and environmental risk Environment International. 168, 107483
• MASON, R.J., RICE, S.P., JOHNSON, M.F., WOOD, P.J. and VETTORI, D., 2022. Aquatic insect bioconstructions modify fine-sediment entrainment and mobility Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface. 127, e2021JF006399

• View all publications

Matt's current postgraduate research students are:

Amit Kumar (2018) Investigation into transitions from meteorological to hydrological droughts. Vice Chancellors scholarship for research excellence.

Abdulaziz Alsalah (2018) Hydrological consequences of rapid urban development in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. King Saud University scholarship.

Andrea Sartorius (2018). Impacts of historic mine waste on ecosystem health. NERC ENVISION scholarship.

Yuyao Xu (2018). Quantifying microplastics in freshwater environments in China. UNNC scholarship.

Cesar Rodrigues (2019) Thermal ecology of invasive and native crayfish. Sir Francis Hill scholarship.

Charlotte Viner (2019) Incorporating biogeomorphological feedbacks into sediment transport modelling in rivers. School of Geography and Engineering scholarship.

Tianyang Du (2019) Monitoring and modelling thermal pollution in river systems. Vice Chancellors scholarship for research excellence.

Calum Ramage (2019) Sources, pathways and ecological impacts of heavy metal and organic pollutants in Kruger National Par. NERC ENVISION scholarship.

Hannah Markham (2019) Impact of elevated phosphorus and fine sediment on aquatic invertebrate egg development. NERC ENVISION scholarship.

Melissa Mayer (2021) Detection, identification and quantification of microplastics in water. EPSRC scholarship (Molecular Imaging and Analysis DTP).

Matt's graduated students are:

Thomas Stanton (2015-2016) Developing improved methodologies for the quantification of microplastics in wastewater treatment plant effluent and sludge. MRes.

Liberty Mgbanyi (2015-2019). Developing topographic models to predict gully formation in data sparse regions. Tetfund scholarship.

Thomas Stanton (2016-2019). Sources and pathways of microplastics in freshwater environments. Sir Francis Hill scholarship.

Samuel Valman (2018-2019) Developing a typology of streams in the anthropocene: Disconnections between controls on river characteristics. MRes.

Mikaela D'Souza (2018-2019) Public perceptions of flood management schemes in the UK. MRes.

Richard Mason (2016-2020) The zoogeomorphology of case-building caddisfly. NERC CENTA scholarship.

Beth Dunstan (2019-2020) Response of caddisfly larvae to heavy metal pollution in former mining areas. MRes.

Emily Richardson (2019-2020) Public engagement with projection relief augmented models for flood risk education. MRes.

Fernando Garzón (2017-2020). Modelling suitability of catchments to Natural Flood Management interventions. Ceiba scholarship.

Hazel Wilson (2017). Reefs of rubbish: the ecological and geomorphological implications of litter in urban streams. EPSRC Engineering Water Resilience DTP.

Alistair Delboyer (2017) Modelling the impacts of heat pumps on thermal conditions in rivers. Leverhulme MASS scholarship.

Matt teaching reflects his research experience, being focused on river processes and management. Matt's modules include field trips to rivers across the UK, where students can engage with management practitioners and projects, as well as undertaking more fundamental work, performing experiments in laboratory flume facilities.

Matt convenes and lectures:

• River Processes and Dynamics (2nd year - GEOG2008)
• Freshwater Management (3rd year - GEOG3015)

Matt also supervises undergraduate and Masters dissertation students researching river processes and management.

Current Research

Matt is a fluvial geomorphologist with an interest in how aquatic organisms occupy, utilise and modify environments. He works at the interface of hydrology, geomorphology and ecology is currently working on projects focused on:

1) The ability of animals to alter physical processes, such as sediment transport, in rivers.

Living organisms can alter environments through their presence and activity, with implications for geomorphic and biochemical processes. Matt is interested in how invertebrate animals alter the flow of material through river systems, including the destabilisation of river beds and banks by the invasive signal crayfish (e.g. Article Link), which can also increase the transport of sediment through rivers (e.g.link). Organisms can also stabilise river substrates (e.g. Article Link) and alter the dynamics of sediment grains (e.g. Article Link).

2) The impacts of environmental change and pollution on aquatic ecosystems.

Matt is researching pollutants in rivers, including the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in freshwater organisms, the presence of microplastics in rivers (e.g. Article Link) and the complex role of litter (e.g. Article Link). Matt is particularly concerned with the sub-lethal impacts of pollutants on invertebrate organisms across multiple life stages (e.g Article Link). Matt is also working on changing water temperature in rivers and how to increase resilience to future warming (e.g. Article Link).

3) Incorporating biological processes into river management frameworks.

Matt is keen that his work retains an applied angle and works with multiple stakeholders. He has projects in the USA and UK on river management schemes, which aim to better account for ecological processes in river management, for example (e.g. Article Link)

• SARTORIUS A, JOHNSON M, YOUNG S, BENNETT M, BAIKER K, EDWARDS P and YON L, 2022. Human health implications from consuming eggs produced near a derelict metalliferous mine: a case study Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A. 12
• KUMAR A, GOSLING SN, JOHNSON MF, JONES MD, ZAHERPOUR J, KUMAR R, LENG G, SCHMIED HM, KUPZIG J, BREUER L, HANASAKI N, TANG Q, OSTBERG S, STACKE T, POKHREL Y, WADA Y and MASAKI Y, 2022. Multi-model evaluation of catchment- and global-scale hydrological model simulations of drought characteristics across eight large river catchments: Advances in Water Resources Advances in Water Resources. 165, 104212
• LIU, D, GUO, Z.F., CHAN, F.K.S., XU, Y., JOHNSON, M.F. and ZHU, G.Y., 2022. Widespread occurrence of microplastics in marine bays with diverse drivers and environmental risk Environment International. 168, 107483
• MASON, R.J., RICE, S.P., JOHNSON, M.F., WOOD, P.J. and VETTORI, D., 2022. Aquatic insect bioconstructions modify fine-sediment entrainment and mobility Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface. 127, e2021JF006399
• JOHNSON, M.F., EDWARDS, P., TODD, R., CASTRO, J.M. and THORNE, C.R., 2022. Performance of an environmentally-aligned, low maintenance flood alleviation scheme on the Burn of Mosset, Forres, Scotland River Research and Applications.
• XU, Y., CHAN, F.K.S., JOHNSON, M.F. and HE, J., 2022. A review of microplastic pollution characteristics in global urban freshwater catchments. In: JOO, S.H., ed., Assessing the Effects of Emerging Plastics on the Environment and Public Health IGI Global.
• PUGH, B., COLLEY, M., DUGDALE, S.J., EDWARDS, P., FLITCROFT, R., HOLZ, A., JOHNSON, M.F., MARIANI, M., MEANS-BROUS, M., MEYER, K., MOFFETT, K.B., RENAN, L., SCHRODT, F., THORNE, C.R., VALMAN, S., WIJAYRATNE, U. and FIELD, R., 2022. A possible role for river restoration enhancing biodiversity through interaction with wildlife Global Ecology and Biogeography.
• ENGLAND, J., ANGELOPOULOS, N., COOKSEY, S., DODD, J., GILL, A., GILVEAR, D., JOHNSON, M.F., NAURA, M., O'HARE, M., TREE, A., WHEELDON, J. and WILKES, M., 2022. Best practice for monitoring and assessing the ecological response to river restoration Water. 23, 10.3390/w13233352
• WILSON H, JOHNSON MF, WOOD PJ, THORNE CR and EICHHORN M, 2021. Anthropogenic litter is a novel habitat for aquatic macroinvertebrates in urban rivers. Freshwater Biology. 66, 524-534
• DE OLIVEIRA ROQUE, F, GUERRA, A, JOHNSON, MF, PADOVANI, C, CORBI, J, COVICH, AP, EATON, D, TOMAS, WM, VALENTE-NETO, F, BORGES, ACP, PINHO A, BARUFATI, A, DO AMARAL CRISPIM, B, GUARIENTO, RD, HELENA DA SILVA ANDRADE, M, REZENDE-FILHO, AT, PORTELA, R, DIVINA, M, SAMPAIO DA SILVA, JC, BERNADINO, C, GOMES DE SA, EFG, CORDEIRO-ESTRELA, P, DESBIEZ, A, ROSA, IMD and YON, L, 2021. Simulating land use changes, sediment yields, and pesticide use in the Upper Paraguay River Basin: Implications for conservation of the Pantanal wetland Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 314, 107405
• XU, Y, CHAN, F.K.S., STANTON, T., JOHNSON, M.F., KAY, P., HE, J., WANG, J., KONG, C., WANG, Z., LUI, D. and XU, Y., 2021. Synthesis of dominant plastic microfibre prevalence and pollution control feasibility in Chinese freshwater environments Science of the Total Environment. 783, 146863
• D'SOUZA, M, JOHNSON MF and IVES CD, 2021. Values influence public perceptions of flood management schemes. Journal of Environmental Management. 291, 112636
• XU Y, CHAN FKS, JOHNSON MF, STANTON T, HE J, JIA T, WANG J, WANG Z, YAO Y, YANG J, LIU D, XU Y and YU X, 2021. Microplastic pollution in Chinese urban rivers: The influence of urban factors Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 173, 105686
• ENGLAND, J., ANGELOPOULOS, N., COOKSLEY, S., DODD, J., GILL, A., GILVEAR, D., JOHNSON, M.F., NAURA, M., O'HARE, M., TREE, A., WHEELDON, J. and WILKES, M., 2021. Best practices for monitoring and assessing the ecological response to river restoration Water. 13, 3352
• GREEN, D., O'DONNELL, E., JOHNSON, M.F., SLATER, L., THORNE, C.R., ZHENG, S., STIRLING, R., CHAN, F.K.S., LI, L. and BOOTHROYD, R.J., 2021. Green infrastructure: the future of urban flood risk management? Wires Water. 8, e1560
• STANTON, THOMAS, JOHNSON, MATTHEW, NATHANAIL, PAUL, MACNAUGHTAN, WILLIAM and GOMES, RACHEL L, 2020. Freshwater microplastic concentrations vary through both space and time. Environmental Pollution. 263(Pt B), 114481
• ANDREW PLEDGER, MATTHEW JOHNSON, PHILLIP BREWIN, JOHN PHILIPS, SARAH MARTIN and DAPENG YU, 2020. Characterising the geomorphological and physicochemical effects of water injection dredging on estuarine systems Journal of Environmental Management.
• XU, Y, KA SHUN CHAN, F, HE, J, JOHNSON, MF, GIBBINS C, KAY P, STANTON, T, XU Y, LI, G, FENG, M, PARAMOR, O, YU, X and ZHU, Y-G, 2020. A critical review of microplastic pollution in urban freshwater environments and legislative progress in China: Recommendations and insights CRITICAL REVIEWS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
• RODRIGUES VALIDO, C, JOHNSON, MF, DUGDALE SJ, CUTTS V, FELL H, HIGGINS EA, TARR S, TEMPLEY CM and ALGAR AC, 2020. Thermal sensitivity of feeding and burrowing activity of an invasive crayfish in UK waters Ecohydrology.
• STANTON, T, KAY, P, JOHNSON, MF, CHAN, F, GOMES, RL, HUGHES, J, MEREDITH, W, ORR, H, SNAPE CE, TAYLOR, M, WEEKS, J, WOOD, H and XU, Y, 2020. It’s the product not the polymer: rethinking plastic pollution WIRES water.
• WILBY RL and JOHNSON, MF, 2020. Climate variability and implications for keeping rivers cool in England Climate Risk Management. 30,
• THOMAS STANTON, MATTHEW JOHNSON, PAUL NATHANAIL, WILLIAM MACNAUGHTAN and RACHEL L. GOMES, 2019. Freshwater and airborne textile fibre populations are dominated by ‘natural’, not microplastic, fibres Science of the Total Environment. 666, 377-389
• RICHARD MASON, STEPHEN RICE, PAUL WOOD and MATTHEW JOHNSON, 2019. The zoogeomorphology of case‐building caddisfly: quantifying sediment use Earth Surface Processes and Landforms.
• HAN, XU, FANG, HONGWEI, JOHNSON, MATTHEW and RICE, STEPHEN, 2019. The impact of biological bedforms on near-bed and subsurface flow: a laboratory evaluated numerical study of flow in the vicinity of pits and mounds Journal of Geophsyical Research: Earth Science. (In Press.)
• STANTON, T, JOHNSON, M, NATHANAIL, CP, GOMES, RL and NEEDHAM, T, 2019. Exploring the Efficacy of Nile Red in Microplastic Quantification: A Costaining Approach Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
• JOHNSON, MATTHEW F., THORNE, COLIN R., CASTRO, JANINE M., KONDOLF, G. MATHIAS, MAZZACANO, CELESTE SEARLES, ROOD, STEWART B. and WESTBROOK, CHERIE, 2019. Biomic river restoration: A new focus for river management RIVER RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS.
• EVERALL, N.C., JOHNSON, M.F., WOOD, P and MATTINGLEY, L., 2018. Sensitivity of the early life stages of a mayfly to fine sediment and orthophosphate levels Environmental Pollution. (In Press.)
• WILBY RL, CLIFFORD N, DE LUCA P, HARRIGAN S, HILLIER J, HODGKINS R, MATTHEWS TR, JOHNSON MF, MURPHY C, NOONE S, PARRY S, PRUDHOMME C, RICE S, SLATER L, SMITH KA and WOOD P, 2017. The “dirty dozen” of freshwater science: Detecting then reconciling hydrological data biases and errors Wires Water.
• EVERALL N, JOHNSON MF, WOOD P, FARMER A, WILBY RL and MEASHAM N, 2017. Comparability of macroinvertebrate biomonitoring indices of river health derived from semi-quantitative and quantitative methodologies Ecological Indicators. 78, 437 - 448
• RICE SP, JOHNSON MF, MATHERS K, REEDS J and EXTENCE C, 2016. The importance of biotic entrainment for base flow fluvial sediment transport Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface.
• HARRIET ORR, MATTHEW F. JOHNSON, ROBERT L. WILBY, TRISTAN HATTON-ELLIS and SAMANTHA BROADMEADOW, 2015. What else do managers need to know about warming rivers? A United Kingdom perspective WIRES water.
• WILBY, ROBERT, L., JOHNSON, MATTHEW F. and TOONE, JULIA A., 2015. Thermal shockwaves in an upland river Weather. 70(3), 92 - 100
• JOHNSON, M.F. and WILBY, R.L., 2015. Seeing the landscape for the trees: Metrics to guide riparian shade management in river catchments Water Resources Research.
• JOHNSON, M. F., WILBY, R. L. and TOONE, J. A., 2014. Inferring air- water temperature relationships from river and catchment properties HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES. 28(6), 2912-2928
• JOHNSON, MATTHEW F., RICE, STEPHEN P. and REID, IAN, 2014. The activity of signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) in relation to thermal and hydraulic dynamics of an alluvial stream, UK HYDROBIOLOGIA. 724(1), 41-54
• THOMAS, ROBERT E., JOHNSON, MATTHEW F., FROSTICK, LYNNE E., PARSONS, DANIEL R., BOUMA, TJEERD J., DIJKSTRA, JASPER T., EIFF, OLIVIER, GOBERT, SYLVIE, HENRY, PIERRE-YVES, KEMP, PAUL, MCLELLAND, STUART J., MOULIN, FREDERIC Y., MYRHAUG, DAG, NEYTS, ALEXANDRA, PAUL, MAIKE, PENNING, W. ELLIS, PUIJALON, SARA, RICE, STEPHEN P., STANICA, ADRIAN, TAGLIAPIETRA, DAVIDE, TAL, MICHAL, TORUM, ALF and VOUSDOUKAS, MICHALIS I., 2014. Physical modelling of water, fauna and flora: knowledge gaps, avenues for future research and infrastructural needs JOURNAL OF HYDRAULIC RESEARCH. 52(3), 311-325
• WILBY, R. L., JOHNSON, M. F. and TOONE, J. A., 2014. Nocturnal river water temperatures: Spatial and temporal variations SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT. 482, 157-173
• JOHNSON, MATTHEW F. and RICE, STEPHEN P., 2014. Animal perception in gravel-bed rivers: scales of sensing and environmental controls on sensory information CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES. 71(6), 945-957
• JOHNSON, M.F. and RICE, S.P., 2014. Macrozoobenthos, hydraulics and sediment dynamics. In: FROSTICK, L.E., THOMAS, R.E., JOHNSON, M.F., RICE, S.P. and MCLELLAND, S, eds., Users Guide to Ecohydraulic Modelling and Experimentation CRC Press, Leiden, The Netherlands.
• JOHNSON, M.F., RICE, S.P., PENNING, W.E. and DIJKSTRA, J.T., 2014. Maintaining the health and behavioural integrity of plants and animals in experimental facilities. In: FROSTICK, L.E., THOMAS, R.E., JOHNSON, M.F., RICE, S.P. and MCLELLAND, S., eds., Users Guide to Ecohydraulic Modelling and Experimentation CRC Press, Leiden, The Netherlands..
• JOHNSON, M.F., DIJKSTRA, J.T., PAUL, M., PENNING, W.E., RICE, S.P. and THOMAS, R.E., 2014. Using surrogates, including scaling surrogates, in laboratory flumes and basins. In: FROSTICK, L.E., THOMAS, R.E., JOHNSON, M.F., RICE, S.P. and MCLELLAND, S., eds., Users Guide to Ecohydraulic Modelling and Experimentation CRC Press, Leiden, The Netherlands.
• RICE, S.P., JOHNSON, M.F., EXTENCE, C., REEDS, J. and LONGSTAFF, H., 2014. Diel patterns of suspended sediment flux and the zoogeomorphic agency of invasive crayfish. Cuadernos de Invstigación Geográfica. 40, 7 -27 (OPEN ACCESS)
• FROSTICK, L.E., THOMAS, R.E., JOHNSON, M.F., RICE, S.P. and MCLELLAND, S., eds., 2014. Users Guide to Ecohydraulic Modelling and Experimentation: Experience of the Ecohydraulic Research Team (PISCES) of the HYDRALAB Network CRC Press, Leiden, The Netherlands.
• EVERALL, N., JOHNSON, M.F., WILBY, R.L. and BENNETT, C., 2014. Detecting phenology change in the mayfly Ephemera danica: responses to spatial and temporal water temperature variations Ecological Entomology.
• JOHNSON, M.F. and WILBY, R.L., 2013. Shield or not to shield: Testing water temperature sensor deployment under laboratory conditions Water. 5, 1622 - 1637 (OPEN ACCESS)
• JOHNSON, M.F., 2012. The use of Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) systems for tracing objects and organisms in rivers. In: CLARKE, L.E., ed., Geomorphological Techniques (online edition) (OPEN ACCESS) British Society for Geomorphology, London, UK.
• RICE, S.P., JOHNSON, M.F. and REID, I., 2012. Animals and the geomorphology of gravel-bed rivers. In: CHURCH, M., BIRON, P. and ROY, A.G., eds., Gravel-bed Rivers VII: Processes, Tools and Environments John Wiley and Sons, New York, USA..
• HARVEY, GEMMA L., MOORHOUSE, TOM P., CLIFFORD, NICHOLAS J., HENSHAW, ALEXANDER J., JOHNSON, MATTHEW F., MACDONALD, DAVID W., REID, IAN and RICE, STEPHEN P., 2011. Evaluating the role of invasive aquatic species as drivers of fine sediment-related river management problems: The case of the signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) PROGRESS IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 35(4), 517-533
• JOHNSON, MATTHEW F., RICE, STEPHEN P. and REID, IAN, 2011. Increase in coarse sediment transport associated with disturbance of gravel river beds by signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS. 36(12), 1680-1692
• JOHNSON, MATTHEW F., RICE, STEPHEN P. and REID, IAN, 2010. Topographic disturbance of subaqueous gravel substrates by signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) GEOMORPHOLOGY. 123(3-4), 269-278
• JOHNSON, MATTHEW F., REID, IAN, RICE, STEPHEN P. and WOOD, PAUL J., 2009. Stabilization of fine gravels by net-spinning caddisfly larvae EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS. 34(3), 413-423