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
Filter Total Items: 24
Attribution of Chessie BIBI and fish sampling data to NHDPlusV2 Catchments within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed 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...
Spatial Hydro-Ecological Decision System Summarized Designing Sustainable Landscapes and National Land Cover Database 2001 - 2016 Data for SHEDS Region 2 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...
Spatial patterns of dewatering within watersheds of Shenandoah National Park, Virginia 2016 - 2021 (ver. 2.0, December 2021) 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...
Data associated with the investigation of suitable habitat for the endangered plant Harperella (Ptilimnium nodosum Rose) in the Potomac River near Hancock Maryland Data 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...
Topobathymetric elevation models of the upper Delaware River, USA - Version 1 - 10km tiles Topobathymetric elevation models of the upper Delaware River, USA - Version 1 - 10km tiles
This dataset includes topographic elevations (in meters) surrounding and bathymetric elevations within the upper Delaware River (USA). Bathymetric lidar data was acquired using the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar, version B. The EAARL-B is a successor instrument to the original EAARL bathymetric LiDAR sensor developed for mapping coral reef environments in clear water, but
Low-altitude aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at select locations over the Potomac River, October 2019 Low-altitude aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at select locations over the Potomac River, October 2019
These digital images were taken at select locations over the Potomac River using 3DR Solo unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in October 2019. These images were collected for the purpose of evaluating UAS assessment of river habitat data such as water depth, substrate type, and water clarity. Each UAS was equipped with a Ricoh GRII digital camera for natural color photos, used to produce...
Filter Total Items: 55
Investigation of suitable habitat for the endangered plant Ptilimnium nodosum (Rose) Mathias (harperella) using remote sensing and field analysis—Documentation of methods and results 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...
Authors
Jessica D. DeWitt, Kelsey L. O’Pry, Peter G. Chirico, John A. Young
Identification of management thresholds of urban development in support of aquatic biodiversity conservation 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 diversity in streams within the Delaware Water...
Authors
Craig D. Snyder, John A. Young
Disentangling the potential effects of land-use and climate change on stream conditions 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 on the condition of 70,772 small streams...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Kevin P. Krause, Claire Buchanan, Lauren Hay, Gregory J. McCabe, Zachary M. Smith, Terry L. Sohl, John A. Young
Assessing the hydrologic impact of historical railroad embankments on wetland vegetation response in Canaan Valley, WV (USA): The value of high-resolution data 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 new ecological state (shrub wetland)...
Authors
John A. Young, Daniel Welsch, Sarah Deacon
Explaining harvests of wild-harvested herbaceous plants: American ginseng as a case study 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 eastern U.S. 1978–2014 to infer temporal patterns and evidence of...
Authors
John Paul Schmidt, Jennifer Cruse-Sanders, James L. Chamberlain, Susana Ferreira, John A. Young
A preliminary assessment of hyperspectral remote sensing technology for mapping submerged aquatic vegetation in the Upper Delaware River National Parks 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 reflectance, variable depth and constituents in...
Authors
E. Terrence Slonecker, Siddiq Kalaly, John A. Young, Mary Ann Furedi, Kelly O. Maloney, Don Hamilton, Richard Evans, Elizabeth Zinecker
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
Filter Total Items: 24
Attribution of Chessie BIBI and fish sampling data to NHDPlusV2 Catchments within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed 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...
Spatial Hydro-Ecological Decision System Summarized Designing Sustainable Landscapes and National Land Cover Database 2001 - 2016 Data for SHEDS Region 2 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...
Spatial patterns of dewatering within watersheds of Shenandoah National Park, Virginia 2016 - 2021 (ver. 2.0, December 2021) 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...
Data associated with the investigation of suitable habitat for the endangered plant Harperella (Ptilimnium nodosum Rose) in the Potomac River near Hancock Maryland Data 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...
Topobathymetric elevation models of the upper Delaware River, USA - Version 1 - 10km tiles Topobathymetric elevation models of the upper Delaware River, USA - Version 1 - 10km tiles
This dataset includes topographic elevations (in meters) surrounding and bathymetric elevations within the upper Delaware River (USA). Bathymetric lidar data was acquired using the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar, version B. The EAARL-B is a successor instrument to the original EAARL bathymetric LiDAR sensor developed for mapping coral reef environments in clear water, but
Low-altitude aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at select locations over the Potomac River, October 2019 Low-altitude aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at select locations over the Potomac River, October 2019
These digital images were taken at select locations over the Potomac River using 3DR Solo unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in October 2019. These images were collected for the purpose of evaluating UAS assessment of river habitat data such as water depth, substrate type, and water clarity. Each UAS was equipped with a Ricoh GRII digital camera for natural color photos, used to produce...
Filter Total Items: 55
Investigation of suitable habitat for the endangered plant Ptilimnium nodosum (Rose) Mathias (harperella) using remote sensing and field analysis—Documentation of methods and results 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...
Authors
Jessica D. DeWitt, Kelsey L. O’Pry, Peter G. Chirico, John A. Young
Identification of management thresholds of urban development in support of aquatic biodiversity conservation 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 diversity in streams within the Delaware Water...
Authors
Craig D. Snyder, John A. Young
Disentangling the potential effects of land-use and climate change on stream conditions 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 on the condition of 70,772 small streams...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Kevin P. Krause, Claire Buchanan, Lauren Hay, Gregory J. McCabe, Zachary M. Smith, Terry L. Sohl, John A. Young
Assessing the hydrologic impact of historical railroad embankments on wetland vegetation response in Canaan Valley, WV (USA): The value of high-resolution data 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 new ecological state (shrub wetland)...
Authors
John A. Young, Daniel Welsch, Sarah Deacon
Explaining harvests of wild-harvested herbaceous plants: American ginseng as a case study 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 eastern U.S. 1978–2014 to infer temporal patterns and evidence of...
Authors
John Paul Schmidt, Jennifer Cruse-Sanders, James L. Chamberlain, Susana Ferreira, John A. Young
A preliminary assessment of hyperspectral remote sensing technology for mapping submerged aquatic vegetation in the Upper Delaware River National Parks 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 reflectance, variable depth and constituents in...
Authors
E. Terrence Slonecker, Siddiq Kalaly, John A. Young, Mary Ann Furedi, Kelly O. Maloney, Don Hamilton, Richard Evans, Elizabeth Zinecker
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