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
Intersex (Testicular Oocytes) in smallmouth bass from the Potomac River and selected nearby drainages
Aquatic habitats of Canaan Valley, West Virginia: Diversity and environmental threats
The use of artificial impoundments by two amphibian species in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Habitat models to assist plant protection efforts in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA
Mesohabitat use of threatened hemlock forests by breeding birds of the Delaware River basin in northeastern United States
Influence of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis L.) on fish community structure and function in headwater streams of the Delaware River basin
Influences of upland and riparian land use patterns on stream biotic integrity
A terrain-based paired-site sampling design to assess biodiversity losses from eastern hemlock decline
Influence of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) forests on aquatic invertebrate assemblages in headwater streams
Use of multi-date Landsat TM imagery to map Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) decline due to hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) in Shenandoah National Park
Relationship of Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) to the ecology of small streams in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Hemlock stands contribute significantly to aquatic biodiversity Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
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
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Filter Total Items: 21No Result Found
- Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 51
Intersex (Testicular Oocytes) in smallmouth bass from the Potomac River and selected nearby drainages
Intersex, or the presence of characteristics of both sexes, in fishes that are normally gonochoristic has been used as an indicator of exposure to estrogenic compounds. In 2003, during health assessments conducted in response to kills and a high prevalence of skin lesions observed in smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu in the South Branch of the Potomac River, the presence of immature oocytes witAuthorsVicki S. Blazer, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, David R. Smith, John A. Young, J.D. Hedrick, S.W. Foster, S.J. ReeserAquatic habitats of Canaan Valley, West Virginia: Diversity and environmental threats
We conducted surveys of aquatic habitats during the spring and summer of 1995 in Canaan Valley, WV, to describe the diversity of aquatic habitats in the valley and identify issues that may threaten the viability of aquatic species. We assessed physical habitat and water chemistry of 126 ponds and 82 stream sites, and related habitat characteristics to landscape variables such as geology and terraiAuthorsC.D. Snyder, J.A. Young, B. M. StoutThe use of artificial impoundments by two amphibian species in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
We compared breeding activity of Ambystoma maculatum (Spotted Salamander) and Rana sylvatica (Wood Frog) in artificial impoundments to patterns in natural wetlands over a three-year period in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Rana sylvatica were 5.6 times more likely to use natural bodies of water for breeding than artificial impoundments, while A. maculatum were 2.7 times more likeAuthorsJ.T. Julian, C.D. Snyder, J.A. YoungHabitat models to assist plant protection efforts in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA
During 2002, the National Park Service initiated a demonstration project to develop science-based law enforcement strategies for the protection of at-risk natural resources, including American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.), bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis L.), and black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt. [syn. Actaea racemosa L.]). Harvest pressure on these species is increasing because oAuthorsFrank T. van Manen, John A. Young, Cindy A. Thatcher, Wendy B. Cass, Chris UlreyMesohabitat use of threatened hemlock forests by breeding birds of the Delaware River basin in northeastern United States
Avian biodiversity may be at risk in eastern parks and forests due to continued expansion of the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae), an exotic homopteran insect native to East Asia. To assess avian biodiversity, mesohabitat relations, and the risk of species loss with declining hemlock forests in Appalachian park lands, 80 randomly distributed fixed-radius plots were established in which terrAuthorsRobert M. Ross, Lori A. Redell, Randy Bennett, John A. YoungInfluence of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis L.) on fish community structure and function in headwater streams of the Delaware River basin
Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) forest of the eastern U.S. are in decline due to invasion by the exotic insect hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). Aquatic biodiversity in hemlock ecosystems has not been documented; thus the true impact of the infestation cannot be assessed. We compared ichthyofaunal assemblages and trophic structure of streams draining hemlock and hardwood forests by sampling firsAuthorsR. M. Ross, R. M. Bennett, C.D. Snyder, J.A. Young, D. R. Smith, D. P. LemarieInfluences of upland and riparian land use patterns on stream biotic integrity
We explored land use, fish assemblage structure, and stream habitat associations in 20 catchments in Opequon Creek watershed, West Virginia. The purpose was to determine the relative importance of urban and agriculture land use on stream biotic integrity, and to evaluate the spatial scale (i.e., whole-catchment vs riparian buffer) at which land use effects were most pronounced. We found that indexAuthorsC.D. Snyder, J.A. Young, R. Villella, D. P. LemarieA terrain-based paired-site sampling design to assess biodiversity losses from eastern hemlock decline
Biodiversity surveys are often hampered by the inability to control extraneous sources of variability introduced into comparisons of populations across a heterogenous landscape. If not specifically accounted for a priori, this noise can weaken comparisons between sites, and can make it difficult to draw inferences about specific ecological processes. We developed a terrain-based, paired-site samplAuthorsJ.A. Young, D. R. Smith, C.D. Snyder, D. P. LemarieInfluence of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) forests on aquatic invertebrate assemblages in headwater streams
We conducted a comparative study in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to determine the potential long-term impacts of hemlock forest decline on stream benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Hemlock forests throughout eastern North America have been declining because of the hemlock woolly adelgid, an exotic insect pest. We found aquatic invertebrate community structure to be stronglyAuthorsC.D. Snyder, J.A. Young, D. P. Lemarie, D. R. SmithUse of multi-date Landsat TM imagery to map Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) decline due to hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) in Shenandoah National Park
No abstract available.AuthorsDavid D. Morton, John A. Young, Nissa M. ThomsenRelationship of Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) to the ecology of small streams in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Hemlock ravines in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA) are highly valued because of their distinctive aesthetic, recreational and ecological qualities. We conducted a comparative study designed to determine the potential long-term consequences to aquatic communities of the suspected transition from hemlock-dominated forests to mixed hardwood forests as a result of hemlock woolly adeAuthorsDavid P. Lemarie, John A. Young, Craig D. Snyder, Robert M. Ross, David Smith, Randy M. BennettHemlock stands contribute significantly to aquatic biodiversity Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
No abstract available.AuthorsC.D. Snyder, J.A. Young, D. Lemarie, D. R. Smith, R. Ross, R. BennettNon-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