John Young is a Research Biologist (Biogeography/GIS) at the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center and Lead of the EESC Remote Sensing and GIS Team.
John Young is a Research Biologist (Biogeography/GIS) whose research interests include developing innovative applications of GIS and remote sensing technologies to assess the impact of landscape structure on the distribution of aquatic and terrestrial species and their habitats. His past research activities have included assessing watershed land use effects on aquatic communities, modeling the distribution of endangered, rare, and at risk plants and animals, remote sensing monitoring and assessment of forest vegetation communities, and characterizing forest structure and change using aerial lidar. His work has also included development of risk and vulnerability models using multi-criteria decision support tools and geospatial modeling, and development of spatial sampling designs for field data collection.
Professional Experience
2000 to present USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (formerly USGS Leetown Science Center), Kearneysville, WV, Research Biologist (Biogeography/GIS).
1994-2000 USGS Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, Biologist (GIS Coordinator).
1991-1994 U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Olympia, WA, Geographer/GIS Coordinator.
Education and Certifications
M.S. Geography, 1992, Virginia Tech
B.A. Geography, 1987, Virginia Tech
Affiliations and Memberships*
International Association of Landscape Ecologists, International Biogeography Society
Science and Products
Brook trout vulnerability to drought: eastern component of USGS national integrated ecohydrological research
Chesapeake Bay Aquatic Habitat Assessments
Mapping riverine habitats of the Delaware River using bathymetric LiDAR
Assessing stream health and fish habitat in streams of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Evaluation and testing of standardized forest vegetation metrics derived from lidar data
Potomac River ADCP Bathymetric Survey, October 4-7, 2021
“ChesBay 24k – NE": Natural Environment Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments
“ChesBay 24k – LU": Land Use/Land Cover Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments
“ChesBay 24k – CL": Climate Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments
“ChesBay 24k – HU": Human Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments
Potomac River ADCP Bathymetric Survey, October 4-7, 2021
Spatial Hydro-Ecological Decision System Summarized PRISM 30-year Normal Precipitation and Temperature Data for SHEDS Region 2
Fishway Structure Data in the Eastern United States
Attribution of Chessie BIBI and fish sampling data to NHDPlusV2 Catchments within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Spatial Hydro-Ecological Decision System Summarized Designing Sustainable Landscapes and National Land Cover Database 2001 - 2016 Data for SHEDS Region 2
Spatial patterns of dewatering within watersheds of Shenandoah National Park, Virginia 2016 - 2021 (ver. 2.0, December 2021)
Data associated with the investigation of suitable habitat for the endangered plant Harperella (Ptilimnium nodosum Rose) in the Potomac River near Hancock Maryland
Assessing tradeoffs between current and desired vegetation condition in a National Park using historical maps and high resolution lidar data
Multispecies approaches to status assessments in support of endangered species classifications
Explainable machine learning improves interpretability in the predictive modeling of biological stream conditions in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA
Thirteen novel ideas and underutilized resources to support progress towards a range-wide American eel stock assessment
Using fish community and population indicators to assess the biological condition of streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA
Linking altered flow regimes to biological condition: An example using benthic macroinvertebrates in small streams of the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Using expert knowledge to support Endangered Species Act decision‐making for data‐deficient species
A Bayesian framework for assessing extinction risk based on ordinal categories of population condition and projected landscape change
Assessment of Ambystomatid salamander populations and their breeding habitats in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Investigation of suitable habitat for the endangered plant Ptilimnium nodosum (Rose) Mathias (harperella) using remote sensing and field analysis—Documentation of methods and results
Identification of management thresholds of urban development in support of aquatic biodiversity conservation
Disentangling the potential effects of land-use and climate change on stream conditions
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.
Science and Products
- Science
Brook trout vulnerability to drought: eastern component of USGS national integrated ecohydrological research
There is a growing and urgent need to develop and implement innovative strategies to research, monitor, and manage freshwater resources as societal demands escalate simultaneously with climate-driven changes in water availability.Chesapeake Bay Aquatic Habitat Assessments
Eastern Ecological Science Center research ecologists are working with state and local partners to develop multiple biological assessments of non-tidal stream and river conditions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.Mapping riverine habitats of the Delaware River using bathymetric LiDAR
Ecosystem management and assessment of rivers requires detailed data on bathymetry before estimates of aquatic habitats can be determined. However, mapping bathymetry in shallow rivers is challenging due to river depth limitations for watercraft.Assessing stream health and fish habitat in streams of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Streams and rivers provide habitat for a diverse array of aquatic and semi-aquatic species. However, human alteration to landscapes and riverscapes has affected this habitat resulting in its degradation and thus loss of habitat and associated sensitive aquatic species. While this relationship has been known for many years, only recently has the availability of data and analytical capabilities...Evaluation and testing of standardized forest vegetation metrics derived from lidar data
The USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) is managing the acquisition of lidar data across the Nation for high resolution mapping of the land surface, useful for multiple applications. Lidar data is initially collected as 3-dimensional “point clouds” that map the interaction of the airborne laser with earth surface features, including vegetation, buildings, and ground features. Generally the product of... - Data
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Potomac River ADCP Bathymetric Survey, October 4-7, 2021
Bathymetric LiDAR technology was used to collect riverbed elevation data along the Potomac River. In support of this effort, a bathymetric survey with a boat-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) was conducted in the study area during October 4-7, 2021. The study area consisted of four verification reaches on the Potomac River including: 1) Williamsport accessed through the Williamsport“ChesBay 24k – NE": Natural Environment Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments
These tabular data are summaries of natural environment related variables within catchments of the Chesapeake Bay watershed using the Xstrm methodology at 1:24,000 scale. Variables being counted as natural environment related include topography, soils/geology, hydrology/geomorphology, and other physical aspects of surface waters (temperature, flow, etc.). Outputs consist of tabular comma-separated“ChesBay 24k – LU": Land Use/Land Cover Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments
These tabular data are summaries of land use/land cover related variables within catchments of the Chesapeake Bay watershed using the Xstrm methodology at 1:24,000 scale. Variables being counted as land use/land cover related contain all land use and land cover data including datasets that are split off or combined from those data (eg. agriculture or impervious classes only datasets). Outputs cons“ChesBay 24k – CL": Climate Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments
These tabular data are summaries of climate related variables within catchments of the Chesapeake Bay watershed using the Xstrm methodology at 1:24,000 scale. Variables being counted as climate related include temperature and precipitation by both annual and monthly values. Outputs consist of tabular comma-separated values files (CSVs) for the local catchment and network summaries linked to the Na“ChesBay 24k – HU": Human Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments
These tabular data are summaries of human related landscape variables within catchments of the Chesapeake Bay watershed using the Xstrm methodology at 1:24,000 scale. Variables being counted as human related include agriculture, barriers, road density and road/stream crossing data. Outputs consist of tabular comma-separated values files (CSVs) for both local catchment and network summaries linkedPotomac River ADCP Bathymetric Survey, October 4-7, 2021
Bathymetric LiDAR technology was used to collect riverbed elevation data along the Potomac River. In support of this effort, a bathymetric survey with a boat-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) was conducted in the study area during October 4-7, 2021. The study area consisted of four verification reaches on the Potomac River including: 1) Williamsport accessed through the WilliamsportSpatial Hydro-Ecological Decision System Summarized PRISM 30-year Normal Precipitation and Temperature Data for SHEDS Region 2
This data release is a summarization within the USGS Spatial Hydro-Ecological Decision System (SHEDS) framework of the Oregon State University PRISM Climate Group 30-year normal 800 meter resolution monthly, minimum and maximum temperature data and monthly precipitation data between 1991 and 2020. The output is a table consisting of the summarized values of these continuous variables for each locaFishway Structure Data in the Eastern United States
These data are a compilation of fishway structures collected by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission state representatives at the request of the U.S. Geological Survey. The variables included within this dataset range from locality information and structure metadata (eg. latitude/longitude and year of construction) to metrics specifically about the fishway structure (eg. fishway width).Attribution of Chessie BIBI and fish sampling data to NHDPlusV2 Catchments within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
This data release links fish survey data from a suite of programs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed as well the benthic macroinvertebrate sites included in the Chesapeake Bay Basin-wide Index of Biotic Integrity (Chessie BIBI) developed by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) and available from the Chesapeake Bay Program. The data set contains site name, survey program, coordSpatial Hydro-Ecological Decision System Summarized Designing Sustainable Landscapes and National Land Cover Database 2001 - 2016 Data for SHEDS Region 2
This data release is a summarization of the US Geological Survey National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2016 Land Cover datasets and the Landscape Ecology Lab at the University of Massachusetts Designing Sustainable Landscapes (DSL) datasets within the USGS Spatial Hydro-Ecological Decision System (SHEDS) framework. The output is a series of tables consisting ofSpatial patterns of dewatering within watersheds of Shenandoah National Park, Virginia 2016 - 2021 (ver. 2.0, December 2021)
These data describe longitudinal (upstream to downstream) patterns of dewatering during summer baseflow (July-September) conditions in nine watersheds in Shenandoah National park. In July-August of 2016 all nine watersheds (Jeremy's Run, Hazel River, Piney River, Hughes River, Staunton River, Whiteoak Canyon Run, Paine Run, Meadow Run, and Big Run) were evaluated for dewatering. In September of 20Data associated with the investigation of suitable habitat for the endangered plant Harperella (Ptilimnium nodosum Rose) in the Potomac River near Hancock Maryland
In lieu of a uniform mapping of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park corridor at very high-resolution using UAS, this study developed a multi-scale workflow, where (1) geospatial modeling methods and (2) historic image analysis were used to constrain the areal extent of (3) detailed field and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) observation. Geospatial Modeling Methods: Harperella habi - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 51
Assessing tradeoffs between current and desired vegetation condition in a National Park using historical maps and high resolution lidar data
In the United States, National Park Service Civil War battlefield units are managed for both historical accuracy (i.e., to represent landscape conditions at the time of the conflict for historical interpretation), and for natural resource protection. However, managing for both goals can create conflicts as many battlefields were largely open or in second growth forests historically, but now harborAuthorsJohn A. Young, Carolyn MahanMultispecies approaches to status assessments in support of endangered species classifications
Multispecies risk assessments have developed within many international conservation programs, reflecting a widespread need for efficiency. Under the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA), multispecies assessments ultimately lead to species-level listing decisions. Although this approach provides opportunities for improved efficiency, it also risks overwhelming or biasing the assessment procesAuthorsDaniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Mary Freeman, Kelly O. Maloney, John A. Young, Amanda E. Rosenberger, David C. Kazyak, David R. SmithExplainable machine learning improves interpretability in the predictive modeling of biological stream conditions in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA
Anthropogenic alterations have resulted in widespread degradation of stream conditions. To aid in stream restoration and management, baseline estimates of conditions and improved explanation of factors driving their degradation are needed. We used random forests to model biological conditions using a benthic macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity for small, non-tidal streams (upstream area ≤2AuthorsKelly O. Maloney, Claire Buchanan, Rikke Jepsen, Kevin P. Krause, Matt J. Cashman, Benjamin Paul Gressler, John A. Young, Matthias SchmidThirteen novel ideas and underutilized resources to support progress towards a range-wide American eel stock assessment
A robust assessment of the American eel (Anguilla rostrata) stock, required to guide conservation efforts, is challenged by the species’ vast range, high variability in demographic parameters and data inadequacies. Novel ideas and underutilised resources that may assist both analytic assessments and spatially oriented modelling include (1) species and environmental databases; (2) mining of data frAuthorsDavid K. Cairns, José Benchetrit, Louis Bernatchez, Virginie Bornarel, John M. Casselman, Martin Castonguay, Anthony Charsley, Malte Dorrow, Hilaire Drouineau, Jens Frankowski, Alexander Haro, Simon Hoyle, D. Craig Knickle, Marten A. Koops, Luke A. Poirier, James T. Thorson, John A. Young, Xinhua ZhuUsing fish community and population indicators to assess the biological condition of streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA
The development of indicators to assess relative freshwater condition is critical for management and conservation. Predictive modeling can enhance the utility of indicators by providing estimates of condition for unsurveyed locations. Such approaches grant understanding of where “good” and “poor” conditions occur and provide insight into landscape contexts supporting such conditions. However, as aAuthorsKelly O. Maloney, Kevin P. Krause, Matt J. Cashman, Wesley Daniel, Benjamin Paul Gressler, Daniel J. Wieferich, John A. YoungLinking altered flow regimes to biological condition: An example using benthic macroinvertebrates in small streams of the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Regionally scaled assessments of hydrologic alteration for small streams and its effects on freshwater taxa are often inhibited by a low number of stream gages. To overcome this limitation, we paired modeled estimates of hydrologic alteration to a benthic macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity data for 4522 stream reaches across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Using separate random-forest modelAuthorsKelly O. Maloney, Daren Carlisle, Claire Buchanan, Jennifer L. Rapp, Samuel H. Austin, Matt J. Cashman, John A. YoungUsing expert knowledge to support Endangered Species Act decision‐making for data‐deficient species
Many questions relevant to conservation decision making are characterized by extreme uncertainty due to lack of empirical data and complexity of the underlying ecological processes, leading to a rapid increase in the use of structured protocols to elicit expert knowledge. Published ecological applications often employ a modified Delphi method, where experts provide judgments anonymously and mathemAuthorsDaniel Bruce Fitzgerald, David R. Smith, David C. Culver, Daniel Feller, Daniel W. Fong, Jeff Hajenga, Matthew L. Niemiller, Daniel C. Nolfi, Wil D. Orndorff, Barbara Douglas, Kelly O. Maloney, John A. YoungA Bayesian framework for assessing extinction risk based on ordinal categories of population condition and projected landscape change
Many at-risk species lack standardized surveys across their range or quantitative data capable of detecting demographic trends. As a result, extinction risk assessments often rely on ordinal categories of risk based on explicit criteria or expert elicitation. This study demonstrates a Bayesian approach to assessing extinction risk based on this common data structure, using three freshwater musselAuthorsDaniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Andrew R Henderson, Kelly O. Maloney, Mary Freeman, John A. Young, Amanda E. Rosenberger, David C. Kazyak, David R. SmithAssessment of Ambystomatid salamander populations and their breeding habitats in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
This report presents abundance and occurrence data for three species of ambystomad salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum, A. jeffersonianum, and A. opacum) collected over a 3-year period (2000, 2001, and 2002) at 200 potentional breeding sies within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA). In addition, numerous measures of inpond, near-pond, and landscape attributes were measured and useAuthorsCraig D. Snyder, John A. Young, James T. Julian, Tim L. King, Shanon E. JulianInvestigation of suitable habitat for the endangered plant Ptilimnium nodosum (Rose) Mathias (harperella) using remote sensing and field analysis—Documentation of methods and results
Ptilimnium nodosum (Rose) Mathias (harperella) is an endangered plant species found in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as in other locations throughout the southeastern United States. The narrow range of habitat characteristics for areas in which harperella has been found makes locating potential occurrence sites difficult and attempts at reintroduction of the plant relatively unsucAuthorsJessica D. DeWitt, Kelsey L. O'Pry, Peter G. Chirico, John A. YoungIdentification of management thresholds of urban development in support of aquatic biodiversity conservation
Urbanization degrades stream ecosystems and causes loss of bodiversity. Using benthic macroinvertebrates as a surragate for overall aquatic diversity, we conducted a series of analytical approaches to derive management thresholds of urban development designed to link ecological responses to the primary management goal of protecting aquatic diversity in streams within the Delaware Water Gap NationaAuthorsCraig D. Snyder, John A. YoungDisentangling the potential effects of land-use and climate change on stream conditions
Land‐use and climate change are significantly affecting stream ecosystems, yet understanding of their long‐term impacts is hindered by the few studies that have simultaneously investigated their interaction and high variability among future projections. We modeled possible effects of a suite of 2030, 2060, and 2090 land‐use and climate scenarios on the condition of 70,772 small streams in the ChesAuthorsKelly O. Maloney, Kevin P. Krause, Claire Buchanan, Lauren Hay, Gregory J. McCabe, Zachary M. Smith, Terry L. Sohl, John A. YoungNon-USGS Publications**
Mahan, C. G. and J. A. Young. 2018. Natural resource condition assessment: New River Gorge National River. Technical Report NPS/NERI/NRR—2018/1622.Mahan, C. G., and J. A. Young. 2016. Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park Natural Resource Condition Assessment. Natural Resource Report NPS/NERO/NRR—2016/1252. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado**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.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government