Mahan, C. G. and J. A. Young. 2018. Natural resource condition assessment: New River Gorge National River. Technical Report NPS/NERI/NRR—2018/1622.
John A Young
Biography
John Young is a Research Biologist (Biogeography/GIS) at the USGS Leetown Science Center. His 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.
Education
- M.S. Geography, 1992, Virginia Tech
- B.A. Geography, 1987, Virginia Tech
Current Research
- Assessing landscape and watershed factors influencing the distribution of species and their habitats
- Development of GIS and remote sensing methods for characterizing aquatic and terrestrial habitats
- Derivation of habitat and habitat change metrics from topographic and bathymetric lidar
- Landscape and genetic approaches to understanding population structuring of rare and at risk plants
Memberships
- International Association of Landscape Ecologists, International Biogeography Society
Science and Products
Date published: April 26, 2019
Status: Active 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. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology has revolutionized aerial mapping of topography and vegetation, but the infrared lasers used on these...
Date published: April 26, 2019
Status: Active 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...
Contacts: Kelly O Maloney, Ph.D., John A Young
Date published: April 23, 2019
Status: Active Brook trout vulnerability to drought: eastern component of USGS national integrated ecohydrological research and monitoring plans
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. Over the past several years, many regions have experienced extreme droughts, fueled by prolonged periods of reduced precipitation and exceptionally warm temperatures...
Date published: October 1, 2017
Status: Active 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...
Attribution: Community for Data Integration (CDI)
Year Published: 2021
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,...
Fitzgerald, Daniel Bruce; Smith, David R.; Culver, David C.; Feller, Daniel; Fong, Daniel W.; Hajenga, Jeff; Niemiller, Matthew L.; Nolfi, Daniel C.; Orndorff, Wil D.; Douglas, Barbara; Maloney, Kelly O.; Young, John A.
Year Published: 2020
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...
Fitzgerald, Daniel Bruce; Henderson, Andrew R; Maloney, Kelly O.; Freeman, Mary; Young, John A.; Rosenberger, Amanda E.; Kazyak, David; Smith, David R.
Year Published: 2020
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-...
Snyder, Craig D.; Young, John A.; Julian, James T.; King, Tim L.; Julian, Shanon E.Attribution: Leetown Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Ecosystems, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
View Citation
Snyder, C.D., Young, J.A., Julian, J.T., King, T.L., and Julian, S.E., 2020, Assessment of Ambystomatid salamander populations and their breeding habitats in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2020–5081, 41 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20205081.
Year Published: 2020
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...
DeWitt, Jessica D.; O'Pry, Kelsey L.; Chirico, Peter G.; Young, John A.Attribution: Florence Bascom Geoscience Center
View Citation
DeWitt, J.D., O’Pry, K.L., Chirico, P.G., and Young, J.A., 2020, Investigation of suitable habitat for the endangered plant Ptilimnium nodosum (Rose) Mathias (harperella) using remote sensing and field analysis—Documentation of methods and results: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2020–1088, 59 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201088.
Year Published: 2020
Identification 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...
Snyder, Craig D.; Young, John A.
Year Published: 2020
Disentangling 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...
Maloney, Kelly O.; Krause, Kevin P.; Buchanan, Claire; Hay, Lauren; McCabe, Gregory J.; Smith, Zachary M.; Sohl, Terry L.; Young, John A.
Year Published: 2020
Assessing the hydrologic impact of historical railroad embankments on wetland vegetation response in Canaan Valley, WV (USA): The value of high-resolution data
The recovery of natural ecological processes after disturbance is poorly understood. Some disturbances may be so severe as to set ecosystems onto a new trajectory. The Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in West Virginia protects a unique high-altitude wetland that was heavily disturbed by logging 100 years BP and has since transitioned to a...
Young, John A.; Welsch, Daniel; Deacon, Sarah
Year Published: 2019
Explaining harvests of wild-harvested herbaceous plants: American ginseng as a case study
Wild-harvested plants face increasing demand globally. As in many fisheries, monitoring the effect of harvesting on the size and trajectory of resource stocks presents many challenges given often limited data from disparate sources. Here we analyze American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) harvests from 18 states in the...
Schmidt, John Paul; Cruse-Sanders, Jennifer; Chamberlain, James L.; Ferreira, Susana; Young, John A.
Year Published: 2019
A preliminary assessment of hyperspectral remote sensing technology for mapping submerged aquatic vegetation in the Upper Delaware River National Parks
Hyperspectral remote sensing of submerged aquatic vegetation is a complex and difficult process that is affected by unique constraints on the energy flow profile near and below the water surface. In addition, shallow, winding, lotic systems, such as the Upper Delaware River, present additional remote sensing problems in the form of specular...
Slonecker, E. Terrence; Kalaly, Siddiq; Young, John A.; Furedi, Mary Ann; Maloney, Kelly O.; Hamilton, Don; Evans, Richard; Zinecker, Elizabeth
Year Published: 2018
Predicting biological conditions for small headwater streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
A primary goal for Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration is to improve stream health and function in 10% of stream miles by 2025. Predictive spatial modeling of stream conditions, when accurate, is one method to fill gaps in monitoring coverage and estimate baseline conditions for restoration goals. Predictive modeling can also monitor progress as...
Maloney, Kelly O.; Smith, Zachary M.; Buchanan, Claire; Nagel, Andrea; Young, John A.
Year Published: 2018
Community for Data Integration fiscal year 2017 funded project report
The U.S. Geological Survey Community for Data Integration annually funds small projects focusing on data integration for interdisciplinary research, innovative data management, and demonstration of new technologies. This report provides a summary of the 11 projects funded in fiscal year 2017, outlining their goals, activities, and outputs.
Hsu, Leslie; Allstadt, Kate E.; Bell, Tara M.; Boydston, Erin E.; Erickson, Richard A.; Everette, A. Lance; Lentz, Erika E.; Peters, Jeff; Reichert, Brian E.; Nagorsen, Sarah; Sherba, Jason T.; Signell, Richard P.; Wiltermuth, Mark; Young, John A.Attribution: Community for Data Integration (CDI), Core Science Systems, Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS)
View Citation
Hsu, L., Allstadt, K.E., Bell, T.M., Boydston, E.E., Erickson, R.A., Everette, A.L., Lentz, E., Peters, J., Reichert, B.E., Nagorsen, S., Sherba, J.T., Signell, R.P., Wiltermuth, M.T., and Young, J.A., 2018, Community for Data Integration fiscal year 2017 funded project report: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1154, 15 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181154.
Year Published: 2018
Canopy volume removal from oil and gas development activity in the upper Susquehanna River basin in Pennsylvania and New York (USA): An assessment using lidar data
Oil and gas development is changing the landscape in many regions of the United States and globally. However, the nature, extent, and magnitude of landscape change and development, and precisely how this development compares to other ongoing land conversion (e.g. urban/sub-urban development, timber harvest) is not well understood. In this study,...
Young, John A.; Maloney, Kelly O.; Slonecker, E. Terrence; Milheim, Lesley E.; Siripoonsup, DavidAttribution: Chesapeake Bay Activities, Leetown Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Ecosystems, Energy & Wildlife, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
View Citation
Young, J.A., K. O. Maloney, E.T. Slonecker, L.E. Milheim, and D. Siripoonsup. 2018. Canopy volume removal from oil and gas development activity in the upper Susquehanna River basin in Pennsylvania and New York (USA): An assessment using lidar data. Journal of Environmental Management 222: 66-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.05.041
Pre-USGS Publications
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