Johanna Kraus, PhD
Dr. Johanna M. Kraus is a Research Ecologist at the Columbia Environmental Research Center.
She studies effects of anthropogenic stressors on food webs, biodiversity and environmental health in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. She began her career with the USGS in 2011 researching how trace metals from acid rock drainage impact adult aquatic insect emergence and contaminant flux to terrestrial insectivores near mountain streams. Since then, her research has uncovered when and where contaminants may impact aquatic and terrestrial food webs using large empirical field studies, laboratory manipulations and conceptual modelling. Dr. Kraus received her B.A. in Biology from Brown University and Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Virginia.
Professional Experience
Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, 2016 - present
Mendenhall Research Fellow, U.S. Geological Survey 2011- 2015
Post-doctoral Researcher, Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2007-2010
Visiting Assistant Professor, Biology, Washington and Lee University, 2006-2007
National Science Foundation EAPSI Fellow, Japan, 2006
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Biology, University of Virginia, 2006
B.A., Biology, Brown University, honors, magna cum laude, 1998
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 32
Introduction: Ecological subsidies as a framework for understanding contaminant fate, exposure, and effects at the land-water interface
Ecologists have long recognized that ecological subsidies (the flow of organic matter, nutrients, and organisms between ecosystems) can strongly affect ecosystem processes and community structure in the recipient ecosystem. Animal movements, organic matter flows, and food web dynamics between linked aquatic and terrestrial systems can also influence contaminant fate, exposure, and effects at the l
Authors
David Walters, Johanna M. Kraus, Marc A. Mills
Metamorphosis and the impact of contaminants on ecological subsidies
Animals with complex life histories such as aquatic insects and amphibians link freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems when they transition from water to land during development. This transition requires metamorphosis from juvenile to adult life stages. Metamorphosis is a stressful and ecologically sensitive life history event. Exposure to contaminants during juvenile development (before or during
Authors
Jeff Wesner, Johanna M. Kraus, Brianna L. Henry, Jacob Kerby
Applying the ecology of aquatic–terrestrial linkages to freshwater and riparian management
Global stressors such as climate change, invasive species, urbanization, agricultural practices, and pollution can alter aquatic resource subsidies to terrestrial consumers. The effects of these stressors on timing, quality, and quantity of aquatic subsidies, such as adult aquatic insects, to birds, herpetofauna, and mammals, have large implications for wildlife management (Baxter et al. 2004, Sau
Authors
Johanna M. Kraus
Contaminants in linked aquatic–terrestrial ecosystems: Predicting effects of aquatic pollution on adult aquatic insects and terrestrial insectivores
Organisms that move across ecosystem boundaries connect food webs in apparently disparate locations. As part of their life cycle, aquatic insects transition from aquatic larvae to terrestrial adults, thereby linking freshwater ecosystem processes and terrestrial insectivore dynamics. These linkages are strongly affected by contamination of freshwater ecosystems, which can reduce production of adul
Authors
Johanna M. Kraus
Aquatic–terrestrial linkages provide novel opportunities for freshwater ecologists to engage stakeholders and inform riparian management
Studies of aquatic–terrestrial ecosystem linkages explore the mechanisms by which components of one ecosystem, such as the aquatic insect community in a stream, directly affect components of an adjacent ecosystem, such as the density and diversity of riparian predators. On a human level, research into these linkages allows freshwater ecologists to form novel collaborations with stakeholders and ot
Authors
Jeffrey Muehlbauer, Christina A. Lupoli, Johanna M. Kraus
Riparian spiders indicate the magnitude and sources of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination at a large contaminated sediment site
We investigated PCB contamination at the Ashtabula River Area of Concern (AOC) following remedial dredging using araneid and tetragnathid spiders. PCB concentrations remain elevated in the AOC compared to reference conditions. Patterns of contamination were strikingly similar between taxa, but were higher in tetragnathids at the most contaminated sites. Spider PCB homolog distributions identified
Authors
David M. Walters, Ryan R. Otter, Johanna M. Kraus, Marc A. Mills
Metamorphosis affects metal concentrations and isotopic signatures in a mayfly (Baetis tricaudatus): Implications for the aquatic-terrestrial transfer of metals
Insect metamorphosis often results in substantial chemical changes that can alter contaminant concentrations and fractionate isotopes. We exposed larval mayflies (Baetis tricaudatus) and their food (periphyton) to an aqueous zinc gradient (3-340 µg Zn/l) and measured zinc concentrations at different stages of metamorphosis: larval, subimago, and imago. We also measured changes in stable isotopes (
Authors
Jeff S. Wesner, David Walters, Travis S. Schmidt, Johanna M. Kraus, Craig A. Stricker, William H. Clements, Ruth E. Wolf
Riparian spiders as sentinels of polychlorinated biphenyl contamination across heterogeneous aquatic ecosystems
Riparian spiders are being used increasingly to track spatial patterns of contaminants in and fluxing from aquatic ecosystems.However, our understanding of the circumstances under which spiders are effective sentinels of aquatic pollution is limited. The present study tests the hypothesis that riparian spiders may be effectively used to track spatial patterns of sediment pollution by polychlorinate
Authors
Johanna M. Kraus, Polly P. Gibson, David M. Walters, Marc A. Mills
Low-cost floating emergence net and bottle trap: Comparison of two designs
Sampling emergent aquatic insects is of interest to many freshwater ecologists. Many quantitative emergence traps require the use of aspiration for collection. However, aspiration is infeasible in studies with large amounts of replication that is often required in large biomonitoring projects. We designed an economic, collapsible pyramid-shaped floating emergence trap with an external collection b
Authors
Pete Cadmus, Justin Pomeranz, Johanna M. Kraus
A modeling approach to compare ΣPCB concentrations between congener-specific analyses
Changes in analytical methods over time pose problems for assessing long-term trends in environmental contamination by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Congener-specific analyses vary widely in the number and identity of the 209 distinct PCB chemical configurations (congeners) that are quantified, leading to inconsistencies among summed PCB concentrations (ΣPCB) reported by different studies. Her
Authors
Polly P. Gibson, Marc A. Mills, Johanna M. Kraus, David M. Walters
Isotopic insights into biological regulation of zinc in contaminated systems
Aquatic organisms use a variety of biogeochemical reactions to regulate essential and non-essential trace metals. Many of these mechanisms can lead to isotopic fractionation, thus measurement of metal isotopes may yield insights into the processes by which organisms respond to metal exposure. We illustrate these concepts with two case studies, one involving an intra- and the other an extra-cellula
Authors
Richard B. Wanty, Laurie S. Balistrieri, Jeff S. Wesner, David Walters, Travis S. Schmidt, Francesca Podda, G. De Giudici, Craig A. Stricker, Johanna M. Kraus, Pierfranco Lattanzi, Ruth E. Wolf, R. Cidu
Aquatic pollution increases use of terrestrial prey subsidies by stream fish
Stream food webs are connected with their riparian zones through cross-ecosystem movements of energy and nutrients. The use and impact of terrestrial subsidies on aquatic consumers is determined in part by in situ biomass of aquatic prey. Thus, stressors such as aquatic pollutants that greatly reduce aquatic secondary production could increase the need for and reliance of stream consumers on terr
Authors
Johanna M. Kraus, Justin F. Pomeranz, Andrew S. Todd, David M. Walters, Travis S. Schmidt, Richard B. Wanty
Non-USGS Publications**
Wanty R.B., L.S. Balistrieri, J.S. Wesner, D.M. Walters, T.S. Schmidt, F. Podda, G. De Giudici, C.A. Stricker, J.M. Kraus, P. Lattanzi, R.E. Wolf, R. Cidu. 2015. Isotopic insights into biological regulation of zinc in contaminated systems. 11th Applied Isotope Geochemistry Conference, AIG-11 BRGM. Procedia Earth and Planetary Science 13: 60-63.
Vonesh, J.R., J.M. Kraus. 2009. Pesticide alters habitat selection and aquatic community composition. Oecologia 160: 379–385.
Vonesh, J.R., J.M. Kraus, S. Rosenberg, and J.M. Chase. 2009. Predator effects on aquatic community assembly: disentangling the roles of habitat selection and post-colonization processes. Oikos 118: 1219-1229.
Ahrens L., and J.M. Kraus. 2006. Wolf spider (Araneae: Lycosidae) movement along a pond-forest boundary. Journal of Arachnology 34: 532-539.
Kraus J.M., and D. H. Morse. 2005. Seasonal habitat shift in an intertidal wolf spider: proximal cues associated with migration and substrate preference. Journal of Arachnology 33:110–123.
Deyrup M., J.M. Kraus, and T. Eisner. 2004. A Florida caterpillar and other arthropods inhabiting the webs of a subsocial spider (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae; Araneida: Theridiidae). Florida Entomologist 87:554-558.
Church S.A.P., J.M. Kraus, J.C. Mitchell, D.R. Church, and D.R. Taylor. 2003. Evidence for multiple pleistocene refugia in the postglacial expansion of the eastern tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum. Evolution 57: 372–383.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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Filter Total Items: 32
Introduction: Ecological subsidies as a framework for understanding contaminant fate, exposure, and effects at the land-water interface
Ecologists have long recognized that ecological subsidies (the flow of organic matter, nutrients, and organisms between ecosystems) can strongly affect ecosystem processes and community structure in the recipient ecosystem. Animal movements, organic matter flows, and food web dynamics between linked aquatic and terrestrial systems can also influence contaminant fate, exposure, and effects at the lAuthorsDavid Walters, Johanna M. Kraus, Marc A. MillsMetamorphosis and the impact of contaminants on ecological subsidies
Animals with complex life histories such as aquatic insects and amphibians link freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems when they transition from water to land during development. This transition requires metamorphosis from juvenile to adult life stages. Metamorphosis is a stressful and ecologically sensitive life history event. Exposure to contaminants during juvenile development (before or duringAuthorsJeff Wesner, Johanna M. Kraus, Brianna L. Henry, Jacob KerbyApplying the ecology of aquatic–terrestrial linkages to freshwater and riparian management
Global stressors such as climate change, invasive species, urbanization, agricultural practices, and pollution can alter aquatic resource subsidies to terrestrial consumers. The effects of these stressors on timing, quality, and quantity of aquatic subsidies, such as adult aquatic insects, to birds, herpetofauna, and mammals, have large implications for wildlife management (Baxter et al. 2004, SauAuthorsJohanna M. KrausContaminants in linked aquatic–terrestrial ecosystems: Predicting effects of aquatic pollution on adult aquatic insects and terrestrial insectivores
Organisms that move across ecosystem boundaries connect food webs in apparently disparate locations. As part of their life cycle, aquatic insects transition from aquatic larvae to terrestrial adults, thereby linking freshwater ecosystem processes and terrestrial insectivore dynamics. These linkages are strongly affected by contamination of freshwater ecosystems, which can reduce production of adulAuthorsJohanna M. KrausAquatic–terrestrial linkages provide novel opportunities for freshwater ecologists to engage stakeholders and inform riparian management
Studies of aquatic–terrestrial ecosystem linkages explore the mechanisms by which components of one ecosystem, such as the aquatic insect community in a stream, directly affect components of an adjacent ecosystem, such as the density and diversity of riparian predators. On a human level, research into these linkages allows freshwater ecologists to form novel collaborations with stakeholders and otAuthorsJeffrey Muehlbauer, Christina A. Lupoli, Johanna M. KrausRiparian spiders indicate the magnitude and sources of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination at a large contaminated sediment site
We investigated PCB contamination at the Ashtabula River Area of Concern (AOC) following remedial dredging using araneid and tetragnathid spiders. PCB concentrations remain elevated in the AOC compared to reference conditions. Patterns of contamination were strikingly similar between taxa, but were higher in tetragnathids at the most contaminated sites. Spider PCB homolog distributions identifiedAuthorsDavid M. Walters, Ryan R. Otter, Johanna M. Kraus, Marc A. MillsMetamorphosis affects metal concentrations and isotopic signatures in a mayfly (Baetis tricaudatus): Implications for the aquatic-terrestrial transfer of metals
Insect metamorphosis often results in substantial chemical changes that can alter contaminant concentrations and fractionate isotopes. We exposed larval mayflies (Baetis tricaudatus) and their food (periphyton) to an aqueous zinc gradient (3-340 µg Zn/l) and measured zinc concentrations at different stages of metamorphosis: larval, subimago, and imago. We also measured changes in stable isotopes (AuthorsJeff S. Wesner, David Walters, Travis S. Schmidt, Johanna M. Kraus, Craig A. Stricker, William H. Clements, Ruth E. WolfRiparian spiders as sentinels of polychlorinated biphenyl contamination across heterogeneous aquatic ecosystems
Riparian spiders are being used increasingly to track spatial patterns of contaminants in and fluxing from aquatic ecosystems.However, our understanding of the circumstances under which spiders are effective sentinels of aquatic pollution is limited. The present study tests the hypothesis that riparian spiders may be effectively used to track spatial patterns of sediment pollution by polychlorinateAuthorsJohanna M. Kraus, Polly P. Gibson, David M. Walters, Marc A. MillsLow-cost floating emergence net and bottle trap: Comparison of two designs
Sampling emergent aquatic insects is of interest to many freshwater ecologists. Many quantitative emergence traps require the use of aspiration for collection. However, aspiration is infeasible in studies with large amounts of replication that is often required in large biomonitoring projects. We designed an economic, collapsible pyramid-shaped floating emergence trap with an external collection bAuthorsPete Cadmus, Justin Pomeranz, Johanna M. KrausA modeling approach to compare ΣPCB concentrations between congener-specific analyses
Changes in analytical methods over time pose problems for assessing long-term trends in environmental contamination by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Congener-specific analyses vary widely in the number and identity of the 209 distinct PCB chemical configurations (congeners) that are quantified, leading to inconsistencies among summed PCB concentrations (ΣPCB) reported by different studies. HerAuthorsPolly P. Gibson, Marc A. Mills, Johanna M. Kraus, David M. WaltersIsotopic insights into biological regulation of zinc in contaminated systems
Aquatic organisms use a variety of biogeochemical reactions to regulate essential and non-essential trace metals. Many of these mechanisms can lead to isotopic fractionation, thus measurement of metal isotopes may yield insights into the processes by which organisms respond to metal exposure. We illustrate these concepts with two case studies, one involving an intra- and the other an extra-cellulaAuthorsRichard B. Wanty, Laurie S. Balistrieri, Jeff S. Wesner, David Walters, Travis S. Schmidt, Francesca Podda, G. De Giudici, Craig A. Stricker, Johanna M. Kraus, Pierfranco Lattanzi, Ruth E. Wolf, R. CiduAquatic pollution increases use of terrestrial prey subsidies by stream fish
Stream food webs are connected with their riparian zones through cross-ecosystem movements of energy and nutrients. The use and impact of terrestrial subsidies on aquatic consumers is determined in part by in situ biomass of aquatic prey. Thus, stressors such as aquatic pollutants that greatly reduce aquatic secondary production could increase the need for and reliance of stream consumers on terrAuthorsJohanna M. Kraus, Justin F. Pomeranz, Andrew S. Todd, David M. Walters, Travis S. Schmidt, Richard B. WantyNon-USGS Publications**
Wanty R.B., L.S. Balistrieri, J.S. Wesner, D.M. Walters, T.S. Schmidt, F. Podda, G. De Giudici, C.A. Stricker, J.M. Kraus, P. Lattanzi, R.E. Wolf, R. Cidu. 2015. Isotopic insights into biological regulation of zinc in contaminated systems. 11th Applied Isotope Geochemistry Conference, AIG-11 BRGM. Procedia Earth and Planetary Science 13: 60-63.Vonesh, J.R., J.M. Kraus. 2009. Pesticide alters habitat selection and aquatic community composition. Oecologia 160: 379–385.Vonesh, J.R., J.M. Kraus, S. Rosenberg, and J.M. Chase. 2009. Predator effects on aquatic community assembly: disentangling the roles of habitat selection and post-colonization processes. Oikos 118: 1219-1229.Ahrens L., and J.M. Kraus. 2006. Wolf spider (Araneae: Lycosidae) movement along a pond-forest boundary. Journal of Arachnology 34: 532-539.Kraus J.M., and D. H. Morse. 2005. Seasonal habitat shift in an intertidal wolf spider: proximal cues associated with migration and substrate preference. Journal of Arachnology 33:110–123.Deyrup M., J.M. Kraus, and T. Eisner. 2004. A Florida caterpillar and other arthropods inhabiting the webs of a subsocial spider (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae; Araneida: Theridiidae). Florida Entomologist 87:554-558.Church S.A.P., J.M. Kraus, J.C. Mitchell, D.R. Church, and D.R. Taylor. 2003. Evidence for multiple pleistocene refugia in the postglacial expansion of the eastern tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum. Evolution 57: 372–383.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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