Jonathan Friedman, PhD
Jonathan Friedman is a Hydrologist at the Fort Collins Science Center.
Since joining the Fort Collins Science Center in 1993, Jonathan has devoted his career to studying interactions among riparian vegetation, river flow and channel change. Present research topics include use of riparian tree rings to reconstruct past river flow, quantification of federal reserved water rights, and determination of the effect of riparian vegetation on bank stability.
Professional Experience
1993-present, Research Hydrologist, USGS Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO
1990-1993, Hydrologist, USGS Water Resources Division, Lakewood, CO
1988-1990, Community College Instructor, Bellevue Community College, Olympic College and Front Range Community College, Washington and Colorado.
1988 Assistant Natural Area Scientist, Washington Natural Heritage Program, Olympia, Washington
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1993
M.S. Oceanography and Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1987
B.S. Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1983
Affiliations and Memberships*
Ecological Society of America
American Geophysical Union
Science and Products
Cottonwoods, water, and people-Integrating analysis of tree rings with observations of elders from the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming
Increased drought severity tracks warming in the United States’ largest river basin
Short- and long-term responses of riparian cottonwoods (Populus spp.) to flow diversion: Analysis of tree-ring radial growth and stable carbon isotopes
Effects of flow diversion on Snake Creek and its riparian cottonwood forest, Great Basin National Park
1200 years of Upper Missouri River streamflow reconstructed from tree rings
Age and growth of cottonwood trees along the Missouri River, North Dakota
Effects of age and environment on stable carbon isotope ratios in tree rings of riparian Populus
An old tree and its many‐shaped leaves
Evaluating riparian vegetation change in canyon-bound reaches of the Colorado River using spatially extensive matched photo sets
River flow and riparian vegetation dynamics - implications for management of the Yampa River through Dinosaur National Monument
Potential effects of elevated base flow and midsummer spike flow experiments on riparian vegetation along the Green River
Population genomic analysis suggests strong influence of river network on spatial distribution of genetic variation in invasive saltcedar across the southwestern United States
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: 88
Cottonwoods, water, and people-Integrating analysis of tree rings with observations of elders from the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming
We assessed the history of flow and riparian ecosystem change along the Wind River using cottonwood tree-ring data, streamgage records, historical temperature and precipitation data, drought indices, and local observations and Traditional Ecological Knowledge from elders of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming. This assessment identified impacts tAuthorsShannon M. McNeeley, Jonathan M. Friedman, Tyler A. Beeton, Richard D. ThaxtonIncreased drought severity tracks warming in the United States’ largest river basin
Across the Upper Missouri River Basin, the recent drought of 2000 to 2010, known as the “turn-of-the-century drought,” was likely more severe than any in the instrumental record including the Dust Bowl drought. However, until now, adequate proxy records needed to better understand this event with regard to long-term variability have been lacking. Here we examine 1,200 y of streamflow from a networAuthorsJustin Martin, Gregory T. Pederson, Connie A. Woodhouse, Edward R. Cook, Gregory J. McCabe, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Erika K. Wise, Patrick Erger, Larry S. Dolan, Marketa McGuire, Subhrendu Gangopadhyay, Katherine J. Chase, Jeremy Littell, Stephen Gray, Scott St. George, Jonathan M. Friedman, David J. Sauchyn, Jeannine-Marie St. Jacques, John C. KingShort- and long-term responses of riparian cottonwoods (Populus spp.) to flow diversion: Analysis of tree-ring radial growth and stable carbon isotopes
Long duration tree-ring records with annual precision allow for the reconstruction of past growing conditions. Investigations limited to the most common tree-ring proxy of ring width can be difficult to interpret, however, because radial growth is affected by multiple environmental processes. Furthermore, studies of living trees may miss important effects of drought on tree survival and forest chaAuthorsDerek M. Schook, Jonathan M. Friedman, Craig A. Stricker, Adam Z. Csank, David J. CooperEffects of flow diversion on Snake Creek and its riparian cottonwood forest, Great Basin National Park
Snake Creek flows east from the southern Snake Range in Nevada over complex lithology before leaving Great Basin National Park. The river travels over a section of karst limestone where some surface water naturally recharges the groundwater flow system. In 1961 a water diversion pipeline was constructed by downstream water users to transport surface water through the groundwater recharge zone to rAuthorsDerek M. Schook, David J. Cooper, Jonathan M. Friedman, Steven E. Rice, Jamie D. Hoover, Richard D. Thaxton1200 years of Upper Missouri River streamflow reconstructed from tree rings
Paleohydrologic records can provide unique, long-term perspectives on streamflow variability and hydroclimate for use in water resource planning. Such long-term records can also play a key role in placing both present day events and projected future conditions into a broader context than that offered by instrumental observations. However, relative to other major river basins across the western UAuthorsJustin Martin, Gregory T. Pederson, Connie A. Woodhouse, Edward R Cook, Gregory J. McCabe, Erika K. Wise, Patrick Erger, Larry Dolan, Marketa McGuire, Subhrendu Gangopadhyay, Katherine J. Chase, Jeremy Littell, Stephen Gray, Scott St. George, Jonathan M. Friedman, David J. Sauchyn, Jannine St. Jacques, John W. KingAge and growth of cottonwood trees along the Missouri River, North Dakota
The relict plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera) forest along the Missouri River between Lakes Sakakawea and Oahe includes trees as large as two meters in diameter. We cored 24 of these trees to determine their age and suitability for flow reconstruction. Because most of the trees were rotten in the center, we developed a method to estimate the date of the center ring that accounAuthorsJonathan M. Friedman, Fisher R. Ankney, Marshall WolfEffects of age and environment on stable carbon isotope ratios in tree rings of riparian Populus
Stable carbon isotopes of riparian tree rings are enabling improved reconstruction of past climate variability, but this advance is limited by difficulty distinguishing the effects of tree age from those of climate. We investigated relative influence of age and climate trends in genus Populus, which dominates floodplain forests in Europe, Asia and North America. We related precipitation and riverAuthorsJonathan M. Friedman, Craig A. Stricker, Adam Z Csank, Honghua ZhouAn old tree and its many‐shaped leaves
Plant leaf shape is highly variable. The beauty of leaves can be purely aesthetic, but also derives from the mystery of adaptive significance. This mystery is especially compelling for species with strongly varying leaf shape on a single tree. The desert poplar (Populus euphratica Oliv.) is an ancient and protected species, and forms riparian forests in deserts of mid and west Asia, north AfricaAuthorsQuan Dong, Jonathan M. Friedman, Honghua ZhouEvaluating riparian vegetation change in canyon-bound reaches of the Colorado River using spatially extensive matched photo sets
Much of what we know about the functional ecology of aquatic and riparian ecosystems comes from work on regulated rivers (Johnson et al. 2012). What little we know about unregulated conditions on many of our larger rivers is often inferred from recollections of individuals, personal diaries, notes, maps, and collections from early scientific surveys (Webb et al. 2007) and from repeat photography (AuthorsMichael L. Scott, Robert H. Webb, R. Roy Johnson, Raymond M. Turner, Jonathan M. Friedman, Helen C. FairleyRiver flow and riparian vegetation dynamics - implications for management of the Yampa River through Dinosaur National Monument
This report addresses the relation between flow of the Yampa River and occurrence of herbaceous and woody riparian vegetation in Dinosaur National Monument (DINO) with the goal of informing management decisions related to potential future water development. The Yampa River in DINO flows through diverse valley settings, from the relatively broad restricted meanders of Deerlodge Park to narrower canAuthorsMichael L. Scott, Jonathan M. FriedmanPotential effects of elevated base flow and midsummer spike flow experiments on riparian vegetation along the Green River
The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program has requested experimental flow releases from Flaming Gorge Dam for (1) elevated summer base flows to promote larval endangered Colorado pikeminnow, and (2) midsummer spike flows to disadvantage spawning invasive smallmouth bass. This white paper explores the effects of these proposed flow modifications on riparian vegetation and sediment dAuthorsJonathan M. FriedmanPopulation genomic analysis suggests strong influence of river network on spatial distribution of genetic variation in invasive saltcedar across the southwestern United States
Understanding the complex influences of landscape and anthropogenic elements that shape the population genetic structure of invasive species provides insight into patterns of colonization and spread. The application of landscape genomics techniques to these questions may offer detailed, previously undocumented insights into factors influencing species invasions. We investigated the spatial patternAuthorsSoo-Rang Lee, Yeong-Seok Jo, Chan-Ho Park, Jonathan M. Friedman, Matthew S. OlsonNon-USGS Publications**
Friedman, J.M., M.L. Scott, and W.M. Lewis, Jr. 1995. Restoration of riparian forest using irrigation, artificial disturbance, and natural seedfall. Environmental Management. 19(4): 547-5.Auble, G.T., J.M. Friedman, and M.L. Scott. 1996. Test of a hydroperiod relation to predict changes in riparian vegetation. From big rivers to small streams. Kansas City, Missouri: Society of Wetland Scientists. p. 25-26.Friedman, J.M., G.T. Auble, and M.L. Scott. 1995. Geomorphic requirements for establishment and maintenance of cottonwood forest. Proceedings of the 46th annual meeting of the Great Plains Agricultural Council Forestry Committee. Great Plains Agricultural Council Publication No. 149. Manhattan, KS: Great Plains Agricultural Council. p. 80-88.
Friedman, J.M., M.L. Scott, G.T. Auble, and L.S. Ischinger. 1995. Plains cottonwood regenerates from natural seedfall on disturbed, irrigated sites. NBS Information Bulletin. Washington, DC: National Biological Service. 3 p.Auble, G.T., J.M. Friedman, and M.L. Scott. 1995. Regeneration processes and conservation of riparian forests in the Great Plains. Proceedings of the biodiversity conservation strategies for the Great Plains symposium. Austin, TX: The Nature Conservancy. p. 36-37.Auble, G.T., J.M. Friedman, M.L. Scott, and L.S. Ischinger. 1994. Geomorphic processes determine instream flow effects on cottonwood regeneration. NBS Information Bulletin 83. Washington, DC: U.S. Geological Survey. 1-3 p.Auble, G.T., M.L. Scott, J.M. Friedman, and L.S. Ischinger. 1994. Modeling effects of flow alteration on riparian vegetation. Research Information Bulletin 65. Washington, DC: National Biological Survey. 3 p.Shafroth, P.B., J.M. Friedman, and L.S. Ischinger. 1994. River salinity has little influence on establishment of cottonwood and saltcedar. Research Information Bulletin 94-95. NBS Information Bulletin.**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.
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*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