Jeffrey W Riley
Biography
Jeff Riley is an ecologist at the South Atlantic Water Science Center. Much of his work has focused on the interactions of hydrology, geomorphology, and ecology. Recent research topics include quantifying groundwater use by riparian forests, investigating the effects of road culverts on stream morphology and aquatic communities, and the effects of in-stream bridge construction activities on channel morphology.
Education
Ph.D. Candidate in Geosciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, expected graduation 2021
M.S. Forest Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 2010
B.S. Chemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, 2004
Science and Products
Monitoring water-quality and geomorphology in the French Broad River during I-26 construction
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to assess the water-quality and geomorphologic impacts resulting from the I-26 construction projects in western North Carolina. Streamflow, precipitation, and water-quality monitoring data, coupled with periodic assessments of geomorphology, will support the NCDOT construction-site...
Actual evapotranspiration, flash droughts, water deficits, reduced vegetative growth, and wildfires: the effects of seasonally water-limited conditions in a changing climate
The Southeastern U.S. experiences recurring hydrologic droughts, which can reduce water availability for human consumption and ecosystem services, leading to plant stress and reduced plant growth. This project examines relationships between drought and the water cycle in the Southeast with data from the Panola Mountain Research Watershed (PMRW) near Atlanta, Georgia and other Southeastern...
Effects of stormwater runoff from selected bridge decks on conditions of water, sediment, and biological quality in receiving waters in South Carolina, 2013 to 2018
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of Transportation, investigated the effects of stormwater runoff from bridge decks on stream water quality conditions in South Carolina. The investigation assessed 5 bridges in 3 physiographic provinces in South Carolina (Piedmont, Upper Coastal Plain, and Lower Coast...
Journey, Celeste A.; Petkewich, Matthew; Conlon, Kevin J.; Caldwell, Andral W.; Clark, Jimmy M.; Riley, Jeffrey W.; Bradley, Paul M.
Effects of box culverts on stream habitat, channel morphology, and fish and macroinvertebrate communities at selected sites in South Carolina, 2016–18
Much attention has been placed on the role that under-roadway culverts may have in inhibiting upstream fish movement because of altered hydrology and unsuitable conditions for accessing or swimming through the culvert. Other culvert effects related to habitat alterations or disturbance to macroinvertebrate communities have received relatively...
Riley, Jeffrey W.; Beaulieu, Karen M.; Walsh, Stephen J.; Journey, Celeste A.
Monitoring wadeable stream habitat conditions in Southeast Coast Network parks: Protocol narrative
The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) has initiated a monitoring effort to assess habitat conditions in wadeable streams at national parks, recreation areas, battlefields, and monuments in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. This monitoring effort includes Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park,...
McDonald, Jacob M.; Gregory, Mark B.; Riley, Jeffrey W.; Starkey, Eric N. Standard operating procedure 1.2.16 wadeable stream reach-scale field data collection—version 1.0
The following standard operation procedure (SOP) outlines the procedure for collecting physical habitat data from previously selected and benchmarked wadeable streams. The purpose of this SOP is to ensure that data are collected using methods that are consistent between reaches and years. Using the methods described in this SOP will also ensure...
McDonald, J. M; Starkey, E. N.; Gregory, Mark B.; Riley, Jeffrey W. Standard Operating Procedure 1.2.14 Wadeable Stream Reach Selection and Location of Sampling Points—Version 1.0
The following standard operating procedure (SOP) outlines the procedure for selecting stream reaches to be used in Monitoring Wadeable Stream Habitat Conditions in Southeast Coast Network Parks: Protocol Narrative (McDonald et al. 2018a). The techniques and procedures outlined in this SOP are based on methods used by the U.S. Environmental...
McDonald, Jacob M.; Starkey, E. N.; Riley, Jeffrey W.; Gregory, Mark B. Setting up and configuring a total station: Version 1.0: Southeast coast network standard operating procedure 1.2.17
The following standard operating procedure (SOP) outlines the process for setting up and configuring a total station to collect accurate x, y, and z coordinate data. Total stations allow accurate spatial data to be collected and tied to a permanent benchmark. These data can be used to detect small geomorphic changes between site surveys. Many...
McDonald, Jacob M.; Gregory, Mark B.; Riley, Jeffrey W.; Starkey, E. N. Widespread occurrence and potential for biodegradation of bioactive contaminants in Congaree National Park, USA
Organic contaminants with designed molecular bioactivity, such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals, originate from human and agricultural sources, occur frequently in surface waters, and threaten the structure and function of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Congaree National Park in South Carolina (USA) is a vulnerable park unit due to its...
Bradley, Paul M.; Battaglin, William A.; Clark, Jimmy M.; Henning, Frank; Hladik, Michelle L.; Iwanowicz, Luke R.; Journey, Celeste A.; Riley, Jeffrey W.; Romanok, Kristin M. Identifying small depressional wetlands and using a topographic position index to infer hydroperiod regimes for pond-breeding amphibians
Small, seasonal pools and temporary ponds (<4.0 ha) are the most numerous and biologically diverse wetlands in many natural landscapes. Thus, accurate determination of their numbers and spatial characteristics is beneficial for conservation and management of biodiversity associated with these freshwater systems. We examined the utility of a...
Riley, Jeffrey W.; Calhoun, Daniel L.; Barichivich, William J.; Walls, Susan C. Species interactions and the effects of climate variability on a wetland amphibian metacommunity
Disentangling the role that multiple interacting factors have on species responses to shifting climate poses a significant challenge. However, our ability to do so is of utmost importance to predict the effects of climate change on species distributions. We examined how populations of three species of wetland-breeding amphibians, which varied in...
Davis, Courtney L.; Miller, David A.W.; Walls, Susan C.; Barichivich, William J.; Riley, Jeffrey W.; Brown, Mary E. Life history plasticity does not confer resilience to environmental change in the mole salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum)
Plasticity in life history strategies can be advantageous for species that occupy spatially or temporally variable environments. We examined how phenotypic plasticity influences responses of the mole salamander, Ambystoma talpoideum, to disturbance events at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (SMNWR), FL, USA from 2009 to 2014. We observed...
Courtney L. Davis; David A.W. Miller; Walls, Susan C.; Barichivich, William J.; Riley, Jeffrey W.; Brown, Mary E.
Spatial and temporal assessment of back-barrier erosion on Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, 2011–2013
Much research has been conducted to better understand erosion and accretion processes for the seaward zones of coastal barrier islands; however, at Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, the greater management concern is the effect that erosion is having on the resources of the island’s western shoreline, or the back barrier. Catastrophic...
Calhoun, Daniel L.; Riley, Jeffrey W. Linking river management to species conservation using dynamic landscape scale models
Efforts to conserve stream and river biota could benefit from tools that allow managers to evaluate landscape-scale changes in species distributions in response to water management decisions. We present a framework and methods for integrating hydrology, geographic context and metapopulation processes to simulate effects of changes in streamflow on...
Freeman, Mary; Buell, Gary R.; Hay, Lauren E.; Hughes, W. Brian; Jacobson, Robert B.; Jones, John W.; Jones, S.A.; LaFontaine, Jacob H.; Odom, Kenneth R.; Peterson, James; Riley, Jeffrey W.; Schindler, J. Stephen; Shea, C.; Weaver, J.D.