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John A Young

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

link
Two aquatic macroinvertebrates in a pan.

Using Multiple Indicators to Assess Stream Condition in the Chesapeake Bay

USGS is working with federal, state and local partners to develop multiple assessments of stream and river conditions in non-tidal areas of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These assessments will help managers preserve stream health and improve biological conditions in impaired streams as the human population and climate continue to change in this region.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

Using Multiple Indicators to Assess Stream Condition in the Chesapeake Bay

USGS is working with federal, state and local partners to develop multiple assessments of stream and river conditions in non-tidal areas of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These assessments will help managers preserve stream health and improve biological conditions in impaired streams as the human population and climate continue to change in this region.
Learn More
link
Brook trout image

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.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

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.
Learn More
link
Bathymetric LiDAR mapping result.

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.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

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.
Learn More
link
Chesapeake Bay image

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...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

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...
Learn More
link
USGS science for a changing world logo

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
By
Community for Data Integration (CDI)
link

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
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 21

Attribution of fish sampling data to NHDPlus HR catchments within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

This data release links fish survey data from a suite of programs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to the NHDPlus High Resolution Region 02 networks, hereafter referred to as NHDPlusHR. The data set contains site name, survey program, coordinates of sample, ancillary information such as sample date and site location information where available, and HR Permanent Identifier. It also includes a confid
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

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
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

“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
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

“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
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

“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
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

“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 linked
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

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
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Spatial 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 loca
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Fishway 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).
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

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, coord
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Spatial 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 of
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Spatial 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 20
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Joint pilot fish habitat framework

This story map will take you through the process of exploring and testing methods necessary for a higher resolution, seamless fish habitat assessment across both inland and estuarine waters through the lens of our joint pilot assessmentFish habitat assessments attempt to relate past, current, or future landscape conditions to the state of fish species occurrence, distribution, abundance, or commun
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
No results found.
Filter Total Items: 53

Pilot framework for fish habitat assessments across tidal and non tidal waters in the Patuxent River Basin

As part of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, all Bay States and the District of Columbia have committed to improving the condition of the Bay, which includes a goal to achieve sustainable fisheries. One outcome under that broad goal is improved effectiveness of fish habitat conservation and preservation efforts. In support of that outcome, the U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological S
Authors
H Nisonson, Alexander Hendrix Kiser, Benjamin Paul Gressler, A Leight, John A. Young
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Causal inference approaches reveal both positive and negative unintended effects of agricultural and urban management practices on instream biological condition

Agricultural and urban management practices (MPs) are primarily designed and implemented to reduce nutrient and sediment concentrations in streams. However, there is growing interest in determining if MPs produce any unintended positive effects, or co-benefits, to instream biological and habitat conditions. Identifying co-benefits is challenging though because of confounding variables (i.e., those
Authors
Sean Cassian Emmons, Taylor E Woods, Matthew Joseph Cashman, Olivia Devereux, Gregory Noe, John A. Young, Scott Stranko, Jay V. Kilian, Katherine Hanna, Kelly O. Maloney
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

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 harbor
Authors
John A. Young, Carolyn Mahan
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Multispecies 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 proces
Authors
Daniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Mary Freeman, Kelly O. Maloney, John A. Young, Amanda E. Rosenberger, David C. Kazyak, David R. Smith
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Explainable 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 ≤2
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Claire Buchanan, Rikke Jepsen, Kevin P. Krause, Matthew Joseph Cashman, Benjamin Paul Gressler, John A. Young, Matthias Schmid
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Thirteen 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 fr
Authors
David 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 Zhu
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Pennsylvania Water Science Center

Using 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 a
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Kevin P. Krause, Matthew Joseph Cashman, Wesley M. Daniel, Benjamin Paul Gressler, Daniel J. Wieferich, John A. Young
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Science Synthesis, Analysis and Research Program, Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS) Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Linking 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 model
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Daren Carlisle, Claire Buchanan, Jennifer L. Rapp, Samuel H. Austin, Matthew Joseph Cashman, John A. Young
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Chesapeake Bay Activities

Using 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 mathem
Authors
Daniel 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. Young
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

A 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 mussel
Authors
Daniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Andrew R Henderson, Kelly O. Maloney, Mary Freeman, John A. Young, Amanda E. Rosenberger, David C. Kazyak, David R. Smith
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Assessment 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 use
Authors
Craig D. Snyder, John A. Young, James T. Julian, Tim L. King, Shanon E. Julian
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Investigation 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 unsuc
Authors
Jessica D. DeWitt, Kelsey L. O'Pry, Peter G. Chirico, John A. Young
By
Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Non-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.

Science and Products

link
Two aquatic macroinvertebrates in a pan.

Using Multiple Indicators to Assess Stream Condition in the Chesapeake Bay

USGS is working with federal, state and local partners to develop multiple assessments of stream and river conditions in non-tidal areas of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These assessments will help managers preserve stream health and improve biological conditions in impaired streams as the human population and climate continue to change in this region.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

Using Multiple Indicators to Assess Stream Condition in the Chesapeake Bay

USGS is working with federal, state and local partners to develop multiple assessments of stream and river conditions in non-tidal areas of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These assessments will help managers preserve stream health and improve biological conditions in impaired streams as the human population and climate continue to change in this region.
Learn More
link
Brook trout image

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.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

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.
Learn More
link
Bathymetric LiDAR mapping result.

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.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

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.
Learn More
link
Chesapeake Bay image

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...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

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...
Learn More
link
USGS science for a changing world logo

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
By
Community for Data Integration (CDI)
link

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
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 21

Attribution of fish sampling data to NHDPlus HR catchments within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

This data release links fish survey data from a suite of programs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to the NHDPlus High Resolution Region 02 networks, hereafter referred to as NHDPlusHR. The data set contains site name, survey program, coordinates of sample, ancillary information such as sample date and site location information where available, and HR Permanent Identifier. It also includes a confid
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

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
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

“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
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

“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
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

“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
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

“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 linked
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

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
By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Spatial 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 loca
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Fishway 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).
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

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, coord
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Spatial 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 of
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Spatial 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 20
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Joint pilot fish habitat framework

This story map will take you through the process of exploring and testing methods necessary for a higher resolution, seamless fish habitat assessment across both inland and estuarine waters through the lens of our joint pilot assessmentFish habitat assessments attempt to relate past, current, or future landscape conditions to the state of fish species occurrence, distribution, abundance, or commun
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
No results found.
Filter Total Items: 53

Pilot framework for fish habitat assessments across tidal and non tidal waters in the Patuxent River Basin

As part of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, all Bay States and the District of Columbia have committed to improving the condition of the Bay, which includes a goal to achieve sustainable fisheries. One outcome under that broad goal is improved effectiveness of fish habitat conservation and preservation efforts. In support of that outcome, the U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological S
Authors
H Nisonson, Alexander Hendrix Kiser, Benjamin Paul Gressler, A Leight, John A. Young
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Causal inference approaches reveal both positive and negative unintended effects of agricultural and urban management practices on instream biological condition

Agricultural and urban management practices (MPs) are primarily designed and implemented to reduce nutrient and sediment concentrations in streams. However, there is growing interest in determining if MPs produce any unintended positive effects, or co-benefits, to instream biological and habitat conditions. Identifying co-benefits is challenging though because of confounding variables (i.e., those
Authors
Sean Cassian Emmons, Taylor E Woods, Matthew Joseph Cashman, Olivia Devereux, Gregory Noe, John A. Young, Scott Stranko, Jay V. Kilian, Katherine Hanna, Kelly O. Maloney
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

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 harbor
Authors
John A. Young, Carolyn Mahan
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Multispecies 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 proces
Authors
Daniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Mary Freeman, Kelly O. Maloney, John A. Young, Amanda E. Rosenberger, David C. Kazyak, David R. Smith
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Explainable 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 ≤2
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Claire Buchanan, Rikke Jepsen, Kevin P. Krause, Matthew Joseph Cashman, Benjamin Paul Gressler, John A. Young, Matthias Schmid
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Thirteen 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 fr
Authors
David 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 Zhu
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Pennsylvania Water Science Center

Using 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 a
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Kevin P. Krause, Matthew Joseph Cashman, Wesley M. Daniel, Benjamin Paul Gressler, Daniel J. Wieferich, John A. Young
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Science Synthesis, Analysis and Research Program, Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS) Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Linking 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 model
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Daren Carlisle, Claire Buchanan, Jennifer L. Rapp, Samuel H. Austin, Matthew Joseph Cashman, John A. Young
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Chesapeake Bay Activities

Using 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 mathem
Authors
Daniel 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. Young
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

A 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 mussel
Authors
Daniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Andrew R Henderson, Kelly O. Maloney, Mary Freeman, John A. Young, Amanda E. Rosenberger, David C. Kazyak, David R. Smith
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Assessment 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 use
Authors
Craig D. Snyder, John A. Young, James T. Julian, Tim L. King, Shanon E. Julian
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Investigation 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 unsuc
Authors
Jessica D. DeWitt, Kelsey L. O'Pry, Peter G. Chirico, John A. Young
By
Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Non-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

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