Jason Rohweder
I have interdisciplinary expertise in biology, geographical information systems (GIS) and application programming. My work emphasizes landscape ecology and the creation of flexible tools and models to assess species habitat.
Recent Projects:
- Web mapping application development
- West Newton Chute Native Mussel Story Map
- Upper Mississippi River System - Systemic Spatial Data Viewer
- Upper Mississippi River Restoration - Long Term Resource Monitoring element - Spatial Data Query Tool
- Upper Mississippi River System - Historic Map Viewer
- Isle Royale National Park - Modelling spatial and temporal variability in browsing by moose under varying predation scenarios
- Tool and data development in support of the Monarch Conservation Science Partnership
- Monarch Conservation Science Partnership Map Viewer and Tools
- Management Unit Prioritization Tools
- Anticipated Effects of Development on Habitat Fragmentation and Movement of Mammals Into and Out of the Schoodic District, Acadia National Park, Maine
- Application of Wind Fetch and Wave Models for Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Projects
- 2012 update
- LINK: ArcGIS Tools for Conservation Planning
Education and Certifications
1998 M.S., Resource Analysis, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
1995 B.S., Ecology, Winona State University
Science and Products
Attributes of Upper Mississippi River System contiguous forest areas
Floodplain forests are important features of river systems as they create habitat for a variety of wildlife species as well as influence water quality by sequestering nutrients. The ecological conditions found within forested areas can vary greatly from place to place, contributing to spatial variability in species diversity, animal use of the floodplain, and other ecological functions. For this...
A Decision-Support Tool for Invasive Plant Management Under Fluctuating Great Lakes Water Levels
Water levels in the Great Lakes are fluctuating in ways that we have not seen in the past, with both historically low- and high-water levels occurring in the last decade. Expectations are that larger and more frequent water-level fluctuations will occur in response to climate change. The increased variability in lake levels has implications for the management of invasive plants found in...
Understanding constraints on submersed vegetation distribution in a large, floodplain river: the role of water level fluctuations, water clarity and river geomorphology
Aquatic vegetation is a key component of large floodplain river ecosystems. In the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS), there is a long-standing interest in restoring aquatic vegetation in areas where it has declined or disappeared. To better understand what constrains vegetation distribution in large river ecosystems and inform ongoing efforts to restore submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV), we...
Upper Mississippi River System Weighted Wind Fetch Analysis (1989, 2000, 2010/2011)
Wind fetch is defined as the unobstructed distance that wind can travel over water in a constant direction. Fetch is an important characteristic of open water because longer fetch can result in larger wind-generated waves. The larger waves, in turn, can increase shoreline erosion and sediment re-suspension.
Monarch Conservation Planning Tools
Monarch Conservation Planning Tools
Monarch Conservation Science Partnership Map Viewer and Tools
This web mapping application is a repository for data and tools that support the Monarch Conservation Science Partnership.
Filter Total Items: 18
Upper Mississippi River System Changes in Floodplain Inundation from 1940 to 2022 Upper Mississippi River System Changes in Floodplain Inundation from 1940 to 2022
Floodplain inundation is believed to be the dominant physical driver of an array of ecosystem patterns and processes in the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). Here, we present results of a change analysis to estimate shifts in floodplain inundation regime characteristics from 1940 to 2022 in navigation pools 3 through 10 along the Upper Mississippi River. Data were derived from a...
Great Lakes seamless water depth models generated at water levels 3 feet below to 10 feet above the published low water datum Great Lakes seamless water depth models generated at water levels 3 feet below to 10 feet above the published low water datum
Modifications were made to Great Lakes topobathy data to interpolate areas of missing near shore elevation data. Areas with missing elevation data were not interpolated where there was low confidence in the underlying depth. This included rivers, canals, harbors, lakes, reservoirs, etc. Areas important for targeting Phragmites australis management often lie within these aquatic...
Great Lakes seamless topobathymetric digital elevation models and shaded relief maps Great Lakes seamless topobathymetric digital elevation models and shaded relief maps
Modifications were made to existing great lakes topobathy data sets to interpolate areas of missing near shore elevation data. Areas with missing elevation data were not interpolated where there was low confidence in the underlying depth. This included rivers, canals, harbors, lakes, reservoirs, etc. Areas important for targeting Phragmites australis management often lie within these...
Upper Mississippi River native mussel sampling quadrat 10, 100, 500 and 1000-meter radius hydrologically-enforced buffers and associated landscape metric calculations Upper Mississippi River native mussel sampling quadrat 10, 100, 500 and 1000-meter radius hydrologically-enforced buffers and associated landscape metric calculations
A systematic sampling design was developed to sample mussels in Upper Mississippi River navigation pools 3, 5, 6, 8, 13 and 18. Hydrologically-enforced buffers were created at a hierarchy of scales to better determine the extent of influence on mussel population assemblages. Buffers were generated using a radii of 10, 100, 500 and 1,000 meters from the quadrat site point. Several...
Analysis data for reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) niche modeling in Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest understories Analysis data for reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) niche modeling in Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest understories
This dataset contains the information used to perform ecological niche modeling for reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) in floodplain forests of the Upper Mississippi River, USA. We used presence and absence of reed canarygrass from US Army Corps of Engineers forest inventory plots sampled between 2008-2018 as our response variable along with several predictor variables derived from...
Estimates of habitat suitability of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) in Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest understories (ver. 2.0, February 2024) Estimates of habitat suitability of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) in Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest understories (ver. 2.0, February 2024)
This dataset contains predictions of habitat suitability of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) in Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest understories from Pool 3 to Pool 13. Predictions were created using three machine learning algorithms (Bayesian additive regression trees, boosted trees, and random forest). This dataset contains rasters that provide habitat suitability...
Filter Total Items: 38
More water, more of the time: Spatial changes in flooding over 83 years in the upper Mississippi River floodplain and relationships with streamgage-derived proxies More water, more of the time: Spatial changes in flooding over 83 years in the upper Mississippi River floodplain and relationships with streamgage-derived proxies
The hydrologic regime of the upper Mississippi River (UMR) has become wetter, with greater discharges, longer-lasting high-flow conditions, and seasonal shifts in these patterns over the past several decades. How these changes are expressed spatially as floodplain inundation area, frequency, depth, duration, and timing is not well understood. It is also unclear to what degree spatial...
Authors
Molly Van Appledorn, Nathan R. De Jager, Jason J. Rohweder, Marcella Windmuller-Campione, Daniel Griffin
Expansion of aquatic and marsh area into once forest and agricultural area reflects changing hydrological conditions along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers (1989-2020) Expansion of aquatic and marsh area into once forest and agricultural area reflects changing hydrological conditions along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers (1989-2020)
We examined 30-year trends in the abundance and distribution of aquatic and floodplain vegetation, as well as human land uses in five study reaches of the Upper Mississippi River and one reach of the Illinois River using aerial photography collected in years 1989, 2000, 2010, and 2020. Permanently inundated area increased in all study reaches over the 30-year period. Increases ranged...
Authors
Nathan R. De Jager, Jason J. Rohweder
Spatial differences in predicted Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass) occurrence in floodplain forest understories Spatial differences in predicted Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass) occurrence in floodplain forest understories
Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) is one of the most common invaders of floodplains and wetlands in North America. In the Upper Mississippi River floodplain, invasion by reed canarygrass in forest understories can inhibit forest regeneration when gaps form in the overstory. Understanding the distribution of reed canarygrass in forest understories is essential for effective...
Authors
John Delaney, Molly Van Appledorn, Nathan R. De Jager, Kristen L. Bouska, Jason J. Rohweder
The where and why of large wood occurrence in the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers The where and why of large wood occurrence in the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers
Large wood (LW) plays important geomorphic and ecological roles in rivers and is widely used as a restoration tool. Changes to floodplain land use and historical removal have altered wood dynamics in fluvial systems globally. We know little about the distribution and dynamics of LW in great rivers (approximately >105 km2) like the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers despite its...
Authors
Molly Van Appledorn, Kathi Jo Jankowski, Kaija Gahm, Serenity Budd, Douglas Baumann, Barbara Bennie, Richard A. Erickson, Roger J. Haro, Jason J. Rohweder
Identifying conditions where reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) functions as a driver of forest loss in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain under different hydrological scenarios Identifying conditions where reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) functions as a driver of forest loss in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain under different hydrological scenarios
Most of the world’s river-floodplain ecosystems are simultaneously undergoing modifications to their hydrological regimes and experiencing species invasions, making it unclear whether invasive species are the main drivers of ecosystem change or simply responding to changes in the hydrological regime. We simulated patterns of forest recruitment and succession in a 2500-ha portion of the...
Authors
Nathan R. De Jager, Jason J. Rohweder, Molly Van Appledorn, Enrika Hlavacek, Andy Meier
Low-complexity floodplain inundation model performs well for ecological and management applications in a large river ecosystem Low-complexity floodplain inundation model performs well for ecological and management applications in a large river ecosystem
Flooding is a dominant physical process that drives the form and function of river-floodplain ecosystems. Efficiently characterizing flooding dynamics can be challenging, especially over geographically broad areas or at spatial and temporal scales relevant for ecosystem management activities. Here, we empirically evaluated a low-complexity geospatial model of floodplain inundation in six...
Authors
Molly Van Appledorn, Nathan R. De Jager, Jason J. Rohweder
Science and Products
Attributes of Upper Mississippi River System contiguous forest areas
Floodplain forests are important features of river systems as they create habitat for a variety of wildlife species as well as influence water quality by sequestering nutrients. The ecological conditions found within forested areas can vary greatly from place to place, contributing to spatial variability in species diversity, animal use of the floodplain, and other ecological functions. For this...
A Decision-Support Tool for Invasive Plant Management Under Fluctuating Great Lakes Water Levels
Water levels in the Great Lakes are fluctuating in ways that we have not seen in the past, with both historically low- and high-water levels occurring in the last decade. Expectations are that larger and more frequent water-level fluctuations will occur in response to climate change. The increased variability in lake levels has implications for the management of invasive plants found in...
Understanding constraints on submersed vegetation distribution in a large, floodplain river: the role of water level fluctuations, water clarity and river geomorphology
Aquatic vegetation is a key component of large floodplain river ecosystems. In the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS), there is a long-standing interest in restoring aquatic vegetation in areas where it has declined or disappeared. To better understand what constrains vegetation distribution in large river ecosystems and inform ongoing efforts to restore submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV), we...
Upper Mississippi River System Weighted Wind Fetch Analysis (1989, 2000, 2010/2011)
Wind fetch is defined as the unobstructed distance that wind can travel over water in a constant direction. Fetch is an important characteristic of open water because longer fetch can result in larger wind-generated waves. The larger waves, in turn, can increase shoreline erosion and sediment re-suspension.
Monarch Conservation Planning Tools
Monarch Conservation Planning Tools
Monarch Conservation Science Partnership Map Viewer and Tools
This web mapping application is a repository for data and tools that support the Monarch Conservation Science Partnership.
Filter Total Items: 18
Upper Mississippi River System Changes in Floodplain Inundation from 1940 to 2022 Upper Mississippi River System Changes in Floodplain Inundation from 1940 to 2022
Floodplain inundation is believed to be the dominant physical driver of an array of ecosystem patterns and processes in the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). Here, we present results of a change analysis to estimate shifts in floodplain inundation regime characteristics from 1940 to 2022 in navigation pools 3 through 10 along the Upper Mississippi River. Data were derived from a...
Great Lakes seamless water depth models generated at water levels 3 feet below to 10 feet above the published low water datum Great Lakes seamless water depth models generated at water levels 3 feet below to 10 feet above the published low water datum
Modifications were made to Great Lakes topobathy data to interpolate areas of missing near shore elevation data. Areas with missing elevation data were not interpolated where there was low confidence in the underlying depth. This included rivers, canals, harbors, lakes, reservoirs, etc. Areas important for targeting Phragmites australis management often lie within these aquatic...
Great Lakes seamless topobathymetric digital elevation models and shaded relief maps Great Lakes seamless topobathymetric digital elevation models and shaded relief maps
Modifications were made to existing great lakes topobathy data sets to interpolate areas of missing near shore elevation data. Areas with missing elevation data were not interpolated where there was low confidence in the underlying depth. This included rivers, canals, harbors, lakes, reservoirs, etc. Areas important for targeting Phragmites australis management often lie within these...
Upper Mississippi River native mussel sampling quadrat 10, 100, 500 and 1000-meter radius hydrologically-enforced buffers and associated landscape metric calculations Upper Mississippi River native mussel sampling quadrat 10, 100, 500 and 1000-meter radius hydrologically-enforced buffers and associated landscape metric calculations
A systematic sampling design was developed to sample mussels in Upper Mississippi River navigation pools 3, 5, 6, 8, 13 and 18. Hydrologically-enforced buffers were created at a hierarchy of scales to better determine the extent of influence on mussel population assemblages. Buffers were generated using a radii of 10, 100, 500 and 1,000 meters from the quadrat site point. Several...
Analysis data for reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) niche modeling in Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest understories Analysis data for reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) niche modeling in Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest understories
This dataset contains the information used to perform ecological niche modeling for reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) in floodplain forests of the Upper Mississippi River, USA. We used presence and absence of reed canarygrass from US Army Corps of Engineers forest inventory plots sampled between 2008-2018 as our response variable along with several predictor variables derived from...
Estimates of habitat suitability of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) in Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest understories (ver. 2.0, February 2024) Estimates of habitat suitability of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) in Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest understories (ver. 2.0, February 2024)
This dataset contains predictions of habitat suitability of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) in Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest understories from Pool 3 to Pool 13. Predictions were created using three machine learning algorithms (Bayesian additive regression trees, boosted trees, and random forest). This dataset contains rasters that provide habitat suitability...
Filter Total Items: 38
More water, more of the time: Spatial changes in flooding over 83 years in the upper Mississippi River floodplain and relationships with streamgage-derived proxies More water, more of the time: Spatial changes in flooding over 83 years in the upper Mississippi River floodplain and relationships with streamgage-derived proxies
The hydrologic regime of the upper Mississippi River (UMR) has become wetter, with greater discharges, longer-lasting high-flow conditions, and seasonal shifts in these patterns over the past several decades. How these changes are expressed spatially as floodplain inundation area, frequency, depth, duration, and timing is not well understood. It is also unclear to what degree spatial...
Authors
Molly Van Appledorn, Nathan R. De Jager, Jason J. Rohweder, Marcella Windmuller-Campione, Daniel Griffin
Expansion of aquatic and marsh area into once forest and agricultural area reflects changing hydrological conditions along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers (1989-2020) Expansion of aquatic and marsh area into once forest and agricultural area reflects changing hydrological conditions along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers (1989-2020)
We examined 30-year trends in the abundance and distribution of aquatic and floodplain vegetation, as well as human land uses in five study reaches of the Upper Mississippi River and one reach of the Illinois River using aerial photography collected in years 1989, 2000, 2010, and 2020. Permanently inundated area increased in all study reaches over the 30-year period. Increases ranged...
Authors
Nathan R. De Jager, Jason J. Rohweder
Spatial differences in predicted Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass) occurrence in floodplain forest understories Spatial differences in predicted Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass) occurrence in floodplain forest understories
Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) is one of the most common invaders of floodplains and wetlands in North America. In the Upper Mississippi River floodplain, invasion by reed canarygrass in forest understories can inhibit forest regeneration when gaps form in the overstory. Understanding the distribution of reed canarygrass in forest understories is essential for effective...
Authors
John Delaney, Molly Van Appledorn, Nathan R. De Jager, Kristen L. Bouska, Jason J. Rohweder
The where and why of large wood occurrence in the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers The where and why of large wood occurrence in the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers
Large wood (LW) plays important geomorphic and ecological roles in rivers and is widely used as a restoration tool. Changes to floodplain land use and historical removal have altered wood dynamics in fluvial systems globally. We know little about the distribution and dynamics of LW in great rivers (approximately >105 km2) like the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers despite its...
Authors
Molly Van Appledorn, Kathi Jo Jankowski, Kaija Gahm, Serenity Budd, Douglas Baumann, Barbara Bennie, Richard A. Erickson, Roger J. Haro, Jason J. Rohweder
Identifying conditions where reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) functions as a driver of forest loss in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain under different hydrological scenarios Identifying conditions where reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) functions as a driver of forest loss in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain under different hydrological scenarios
Most of the world’s river-floodplain ecosystems are simultaneously undergoing modifications to their hydrological regimes and experiencing species invasions, making it unclear whether invasive species are the main drivers of ecosystem change or simply responding to changes in the hydrological regime. We simulated patterns of forest recruitment and succession in a 2500-ha portion of the...
Authors
Nathan R. De Jager, Jason J. Rohweder, Molly Van Appledorn, Enrika Hlavacek, Andy Meier
Low-complexity floodplain inundation model performs well for ecological and management applications in a large river ecosystem Low-complexity floodplain inundation model performs well for ecological and management applications in a large river ecosystem
Flooding is a dominant physical process that drives the form and function of river-floodplain ecosystems. Efficiently characterizing flooding dynamics can be challenging, especially over geographically broad areas or at spatial and temporal scales relevant for ecosystem management activities. Here, we empirically evaluated a low-complexity geospatial model of floodplain inundation in six...
Authors
Molly Van Appledorn, Nathan R. De Jager, Jason J. Rohweder