Kelly O Maloney, Ph.D.
Kelly Maloney is a Research Ecologist at Eastern Ecological Science Center located at Kearneysville, WV.
Dr. Kelly O. Maloney is an ecologist whose research focuses on the effects of anthropogenic activities on the quantity and quality of freshwater resources with a goal to synthesize scientific findings into tools to aid in the monitoring, assessment and management of these precious resources. Dr. Maloney conducts and coordinates a highly diverse range of research to address the informational needs of the DOI, its partners, state agencies and NGOs. Dr. Maloney has centered his research program on two areas: 1) ecological flow requirements of aquatic systems, and 2) effects of anthropogenic activities on aquatic ecosystem structure and function. Within each focal area he conducts research to answer questions at multiple scales, employing a combination of field surveys, statistical analyses, computer simulations and meta-analyses.
Professional Experience
2010-Present - U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science Center (previously Leetown Science Center)
post-doctoral at the Illinois Natural History Survey and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
post-doctoral at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Education and Certifications
B.S. Environmental Resource Management, 1994,The Pennsylvania State University
M.S. Earth and Environmental Science, 2000, Lehigh University
M.P.S. Discrete and Statistical Science, 2004, Auburn University
Ph.D. Biological Sciences, 2004, Auburn University
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 13
Warm Freshwater Ecosystems
These systems are characterized as 4th order and larger nontidal riverine systems, which includes many of the intermediate and larger size rivers, such as the Penobscot, Connecticut, Hudson, Delaware, and Susquehanna Rivers and their larger tributaries of the northeastern U.S. Fish passage, thermal stress, and ecological flows are likely important issues in these systems. Fish health issues and...
Filter Total Items: 27
“ChesBay 24k – LU": Land Use/Land Cover Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments (ver. 3.0, August 2025) “ChesBay 24k – LU": Land Use/Land Cover Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments (ver. 3.0, August 2025)
These tabular data are the summarization of land use/land cover related variables within the Chesapeake Bay watershed using the xstrm methodology bringing these data to the 1:24,000 scale. Variables being counted as land use/land cover related include all land use and land cover data. This also contains datasets that are split off or combined from source data (eg. agriculture or...
“ChesBay 24k – CL": Climate Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments (ver. 4.0, August 2025) “ChesBay 24k – CL": Climate Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments (ver. 4.0, August 2025)
These tabular data are the summarization of climate related variables within catchments of the Chesapeake Bay watershed at the 1:24,000 scale using the xstrm methodology. Variables being counted as climate related include temperature and precipitation by both annual and monthly timesteps. Outputs include tabular comma-separated values files (CSVs) and parquet formatted files for the...
“ChesBay 24k – HU": Human Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments (ver. 3.0, August 2025) “ChesBay 24k – HU": Human Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments (ver. 3.0, August 2025)
These tabular data are the summarization of human related variables within catchments of the Chesapeake Bay watershed at the 1:24,000 scale using the xstrm methodology. Variables being counted as human related include agriculture, barriers, road density, pesticide, and road/stream crossing data. Outputs include tabular comma-separated values files (CSVs), and parquet formatted files for...
North American Bird Banding Program Dataset 1960-2022 retrieved 2022-07-14 North American Bird Banding Program Dataset 1960-2022 retrieved 2022-07-14
The North American Bird Banding Program is directed in the United States by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL), Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge (EESC) and in Canada by the Bird Banding Office (BBO), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The respective banding offices have similar functions and policies and use the...
Model predictions of biological condition for small streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA Model predictions of biological condition for small streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA
This data release contains predictions of stream biological condition as defined by the Chesapeake basin-wide index of biotic integrity for stream macroinvertebrates (Chessie BIBI) using Random Forest models with landscape data for small streams (≤ 200 km2 in upstream drainage) across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW). Predictions were made at eight time periods (2001, 2004, 2006, 2008...
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...
Fish community and species distribution predictions for streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Fish community and species distribution predictions for streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
This data release contains predictions of selected fish community metrics and fish species occurrence using Random Forest models with landscape data for inland reaches across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW). Predictions were made at four time intervals (2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016) according to changes in landcover using the National Land Cover Database (NLCD). The fish sampling data...
Modeled estimates of altered hydrologic metrics for all NHDPlus v21 reaches in the Chesapeake Bay watershed Modeled estimates of altered hydrologic metrics for all NHDPlus v21 reaches in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Data are modeled estimates of flow status (inclined, diminished, or indeterminant) for 12 published hydrologic metrics (HMs) that characterize main components of flow regimes (duration, frequency, magnitude, timing, and rate of change). Model estimates came from random forest models independently built for each HM that predict flow status category using drainage area and previously...
North American Bird Banding Program Dataset 1960-2021 retrieved 2021-07-25 North American Bird Banding Program Dataset 1960-2021 retrieved 2021-07-25
The North American Bird Banding Program is directed in the United States by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL), Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge (EESC) and in Canada by the Bird Banding Office (BBO), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The respective banding offices have similar functions and policies and use the...
Community metrics from inter-agency compilation of inland fish sampling data within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Community metrics from inter-agency compilation of inland fish sampling data within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
This data release contains calculated metrics which summarize various biodiversity and functional/life history trait information about fish communities sampled across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed as well as ancillary data related to time/place of sampling and sampling methodology. The fish sampling data used to compute these metrics were compiled from various fish sampling programs...
Fish survey data for Asaph, Straight, Canada and Baldwin Runs, Tioga County, PA, 2012-2017 Fish survey data for Asaph, Straight, Canada and Baldwin Runs, Tioga County, PA, 2012-2017
Fish survey data for four stream in Tioga County Pennsylvania from 2012-2017. Community data based on 2-3 backpack electrofishing passes with individual lengths and weights.
North American Bird Banding Program Dataset 1960-2020 retrieved 2020-06-26 North American Bird Banding Program Dataset 1960-2020 retrieved 2020-06-26
The North American Bird Banding Program is directed in the United States by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL), Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge (EESC) and in Canada by the Bird Banding Office (BBO), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The respective banding offices have similar functions and policies and use the...
Filter Total Items: 52
Multispecies approaches to status assessments in support of endangered species classifications 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...
Authors
Daniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Mary Freeman, Kelly O. Maloney, John A. Young, Amanda E. Rosenberger, David C. Kazyak, David R. Smith
Explainable machine learning improves interpretability in the predictive modeling of biological stream conditions in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA 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...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Claire Buchanan, Rikke Jepsen, Kevin P. Krause, Matthew J. Cashman, Benjamin P. Gressler, John A. Young, Matthias Schmid
Using fish community and population indicators to assess the biological condition of streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA 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...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Kevin P. Krause, Matthew J. Cashman, Wesley M. Daniel, Benjamin P. Gressler, Daniel J. Wieferich, John A. Young
Techniques to improve ecological interpretability of black box machine learning models Techniques to improve ecological interpretability of black box machine learning models
Statistical modeling of ecological data is often faced with a large number of variables as well as possible nonlinear relationships and higher-order interaction effects. Gradient boosted trees (GBT) have been successful in addressing these issues and have shown a good predictive performance in modeling nonlinear relationships, in particular in classification settings with a categorical...
Authors
Thomas Welchowski, Kelly O. Maloney, Richard M. Mitchell, Matthias Schmid
Time marches on, but do the causal pathways driving instream habitat and biology remain consistent? Time marches on, but do the causal pathways driving instream habitat and biology remain consistent?
Stream ecosystems are complex networks of interacting terrestrial and aquatic drivers. To untangle these ecological networks, efforts evaluating the direct and indirect effects of landscape, climate, and instream predictors on biological condition through time are needed. We used structural equation modeling and leveraged a stream survey program to identify and compare important...
Authors
Richard H Walker, Matthew J. Ashton, Matthew J. Cashman, Rosemary M. Fanelli, Kevin P. Krause, Gregory E. Noe, Kelly O. Maloney
Linking altered flow regimes to biological condition: An example using benthic macroinvertebrates in small streams of the Chesapeake Bay watershed 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...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Daren M. Carlisle, Claire Buchanan, Jennifer L. Rapp, Samuel H. Austin, Matthew J. Cashman, John A. Young
Using expert knowledge to support Endangered Species Act decision‐making for data‐deficient species 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...
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
A Bayesian framework for assessing extinction risk based on ordinal categories of population condition and projected landscape change 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...
Authors
Daniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Andrew R Henderson, Kelly O. Maloney, Mary Freeman, John A. Young, Amanda E. Rosenberger, David C. Kazyak, David R. Smith
Sediment dynamics and implications for management: State of the science from long‐term research in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA Sediment dynamics and implications for management: State of the science from long‐term research in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA
This review aims to synthesize the current knowledge of sediment dynamics using insights from long‐term research conducted in the watershed draining to the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the U.S., to inform management actions to restore the estuary and its watershed. The sediment dynamics of the Chesapeake are typical of many impaired watersheds and estuaries around the world...
Authors
Gregory E. Noe, Matthew J. Cashman, Katherine Skalak, Allen C. Gellis, Kristina G. Hopkins, Douglas L. Moyer, James S. Webber, Adam Benthem, Kelly O. Maloney, John Brakebill, Andrew J. Sekellick, Michael J. Langland, Qian Zhang, Gary W. Shenk, Jennifer L. D. Keisman, Cliff R. Hupp
A random forest approach for bounded outcome variables A random forest approach for bounded outcome variables
Random forests have become an established tool for classication and regres- sion, in particular in high-dimensional settings and in the presence of non-additive predictor-response relationships. For bounded outcome variables restricted to the unit interval, however, classical modeling approaches based on mean squared error loss may severely suer as they do not account for...
Authors
Leonie Weinhold, Matthias Schmid, Richard M. Mitchell, Kelly O. Maloney, Marvin N. Wright, Moritz Berger
Shale gas development has limited effects on stream biology and geochemistry in a gradient-based, multiparameter study in Pennsylvania Shale gas development has limited effects on stream biology and geochemistry in a gradient-based, multiparameter study in Pennsylvania
The number of horizontally drilled shale oil and gas wells in the United States has increased from nearly 28,000 in 2007 to nearly 127,000 in 2017, and research has suggested the potential for the development of shale resources to affect nearby stream ecosystems. However, the ability to generalize current studies is limited by the small geographic scope as well as limited breadth and...
Authors
Adam Mumford, Kelly O. Maloney, Denise M. Akob, Sarah Nettemann, Arianne Proctor, Jason Ditty, Luke Ulsamer, Josh Lookenbill, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
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
Non-USGS Publications**
Dale, V. H., P. J. Mulholland, L. M. Olsen, J. W. Feminella, K. O. Maloney, D. C. White, A. Peacock, and T. Foster. 2004. Selecting a suite of ecological indicators for resource management. L. A. Kapustka, H. Gilbraith, M. Luxon, and G. R. Biddinger (editors). Landscape ecology and wildlife habitat evaluation: critical information for ecological risk assessment, land-use, management activities and biodiversity enhancement practices. American Society for Testing and Materials STP 1458. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA.
Maloney, K.O. and D.E. Weller. 2011. Anthropogenic disturbance and streams: land use and land-use change affect stream ecosystems via multiple pathways. Freshwater Biology 56: 611-626. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2010.02522.x
**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: 13
Warm Freshwater Ecosystems
These systems are characterized as 4th order and larger nontidal riverine systems, which includes many of the intermediate and larger size rivers, such as the Penobscot, Connecticut, Hudson, Delaware, and Susquehanna Rivers and their larger tributaries of the northeastern U.S. Fish passage, thermal stress, and ecological flows are likely important issues in these systems. Fish health issues and...
Filter Total Items: 27
“ChesBay 24k – LU": Land Use/Land Cover Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments (ver. 3.0, August 2025) “ChesBay 24k – LU": Land Use/Land Cover Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments (ver. 3.0, August 2025)
These tabular data are the summarization of land use/land cover related variables within the Chesapeake Bay watershed using the xstrm methodology bringing these data to the 1:24,000 scale. Variables being counted as land use/land cover related include all land use and land cover data. This also contains datasets that are split off or combined from source data (eg. agriculture or...
“ChesBay 24k – CL": Climate Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments (ver. 4.0, August 2025) “ChesBay 24k – CL": Climate Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments (ver. 4.0, August 2025)
These tabular data are the summarization of climate related variables within catchments of the Chesapeake Bay watershed at the 1:24,000 scale using the xstrm methodology. Variables being counted as climate related include temperature and precipitation by both annual and monthly timesteps. Outputs include tabular comma-separated values files (CSVs) and parquet formatted files for the...
“ChesBay 24k – HU": Human Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments (ver. 3.0, August 2025) “ChesBay 24k – HU": Human Related Data Summaries for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Within NHD Plus HR catchments (ver. 3.0, August 2025)
These tabular data are the summarization of human related variables within catchments of the Chesapeake Bay watershed at the 1:24,000 scale using the xstrm methodology. Variables being counted as human related include agriculture, barriers, road density, pesticide, and road/stream crossing data. Outputs include tabular comma-separated values files (CSVs), and parquet formatted files for...
North American Bird Banding Program Dataset 1960-2022 retrieved 2022-07-14 North American Bird Banding Program Dataset 1960-2022 retrieved 2022-07-14
The North American Bird Banding Program is directed in the United States by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL), Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge (EESC) and in Canada by the Bird Banding Office (BBO), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The respective banding offices have similar functions and policies and use the...
Model predictions of biological condition for small streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA Model predictions of biological condition for small streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA
This data release contains predictions of stream biological condition as defined by the Chesapeake basin-wide index of biotic integrity for stream macroinvertebrates (Chessie BIBI) using Random Forest models with landscape data for small streams (≤ 200 km2 in upstream drainage) across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW). Predictions were made at eight time periods (2001, 2004, 2006, 2008...
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...
Fish community and species distribution predictions for streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Fish community and species distribution predictions for streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
This data release contains predictions of selected fish community metrics and fish species occurrence using Random Forest models with landscape data for inland reaches across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW). Predictions were made at four time intervals (2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016) according to changes in landcover using the National Land Cover Database (NLCD). The fish sampling data...
Modeled estimates of altered hydrologic metrics for all NHDPlus v21 reaches in the Chesapeake Bay watershed Modeled estimates of altered hydrologic metrics for all NHDPlus v21 reaches in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Data are modeled estimates of flow status (inclined, diminished, or indeterminant) for 12 published hydrologic metrics (HMs) that characterize main components of flow regimes (duration, frequency, magnitude, timing, and rate of change). Model estimates came from random forest models independently built for each HM that predict flow status category using drainage area and previously...
North American Bird Banding Program Dataset 1960-2021 retrieved 2021-07-25 North American Bird Banding Program Dataset 1960-2021 retrieved 2021-07-25
The North American Bird Banding Program is directed in the United States by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL), Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge (EESC) and in Canada by the Bird Banding Office (BBO), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The respective banding offices have similar functions and policies and use the...
Community metrics from inter-agency compilation of inland fish sampling data within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Community metrics from inter-agency compilation of inland fish sampling data within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
This data release contains calculated metrics which summarize various biodiversity and functional/life history trait information about fish communities sampled across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed as well as ancillary data related to time/place of sampling and sampling methodology. The fish sampling data used to compute these metrics were compiled from various fish sampling programs...
Fish survey data for Asaph, Straight, Canada and Baldwin Runs, Tioga County, PA, 2012-2017 Fish survey data for Asaph, Straight, Canada and Baldwin Runs, Tioga County, PA, 2012-2017
Fish survey data for four stream in Tioga County Pennsylvania from 2012-2017. Community data based on 2-3 backpack electrofishing passes with individual lengths and weights.
North American Bird Banding Program Dataset 1960-2020 retrieved 2020-06-26 North American Bird Banding Program Dataset 1960-2020 retrieved 2020-06-26
The North American Bird Banding Program is directed in the United States by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL), Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge (EESC) and in Canada by the Bird Banding Office (BBO), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The respective banding offices have similar functions and policies and use the...
Filter Total Items: 52
Multispecies approaches to status assessments in support of endangered species classifications 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...
Authors
Daniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Mary Freeman, Kelly O. Maloney, John A. Young, Amanda E. Rosenberger, David C. Kazyak, David R. Smith
Explainable machine learning improves interpretability in the predictive modeling of biological stream conditions in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA 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...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Claire Buchanan, Rikke Jepsen, Kevin P. Krause, Matthew J. Cashman, Benjamin P. Gressler, John A. Young, Matthias Schmid
Using fish community and population indicators to assess the biological condition of streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA 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...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Kevin P. Krause, Matthew J. Cashman, Wesley M. Daniel, Benjamin P. Gressler, Daniel J. Wieferich, John A. Young
Techniques to improve ecological interpretability of black box machine learning models Techniques to improve ecological interpretability of black box machine learning models
Statistical modeling of ecological data is often faced with a large number of variables as well as possible nonlinear relationships and higher-order interaction effects. Gradient boosted trees (GBT) have been successful in addressing these issues and have shown a good predictive performance in modeling nonlinear relationships, in particular in classification settings with a categorical...
Authors
Thomas Welchowski, Kelly O. Maloney, Richard M. Mitchell, Matthias Schmid
Time marches on, but do the causal pathways driving instream habitat and biology remain consistent? Time marches on, but do the causal pathways driving instream habitat and biology remain consistent?
Stream ecosystems are complex networks of interacting terrestrial and aquatic drivers. To untangle these ecological networks, efforts evaluating the direct and indirect effects of landscape, climate, and instream predictors on biological condition through time are needed. We used structural equation modeling and leveraged a stream survey program to identify and compare important...
Authors
Richard H Walker, Matthew J. Ashton, Matthew J. Cashman, Rosemary M. Fanelli, Kevin P. Krause, Gregory E. Noe, Kelly O. Maloney
Linking altered flow regimes to biological condition: An example using benthic macroinvertebrates in small streams of the Chesapeake Bay watershed 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...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Daren M. Carlisle, Claire Buchanan, Jennifer L. Rapp, Samuel H. Austin, Matthew J. Cashman, John A. Young
Using expert knowledge to support Endangered Species Act decision‐making for data‐deficient species 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...
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
A Bayesian framework for assessing extinction risk based on ordinal categories of population condition and projected landscape change 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...
Authors
Daniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Andrew R Henderson, Kelly O. Maloney, Mary Freeman, John A. Young, Amanda E. Rosenberger, David C. Kazyak, David R. Smith
Sediment dynamics and implications for management: State of the science from long‐term research in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA Sediment dynamics and implications for management: State of the science from long‐term research in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA
This review aims to synthesize the current knowledge of sediment dynamics using insights from long‐term research conducted in the watershed draining to the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the U.S., to inform management actions to restore the estuary and its watershed. The sediment dynamics of the Chesapeake are typical of many impaired watersheds and estuaries around the world...
Authors
Gregory E. Noe, Matthew J. Cashman, Katherine Skalak, Allen C. Gellis, Kristina G. Hopkins, Douglas L. Moyer, James S. Webber, Adam Benthem, Kelly O. Maloney, John Brakebill, Andrew J. Sekellick, Michael J. Langland, Qian Zhang, Gary W. Shenk, Jennifer L. D. Keisman, Cliff R. Hupp
A random forest approach for bounded outcome variables A random forest approach for bounded outcome variables
Random forests have become an established tool for classication and regres- sion, in particular in high-dimensional settings and in the presence of non-additive predictor-response relationships. For bounded outcome variables restricted to the unit interval, however, classical modeling approaches based on mean squared error loss may severely suer as they do not account for...
Authors
Leonie Weinhold, Matthias Schmid, Richard M. Mitchell, Kelly O. Maloney, Marvin N. Wright, Moritz Berger
Shale gas development has limited effects on stream biology and geochemistry in a gradient-based, multiparameter study in Pennsylvania Shale gas development has limited effects on stream biology and geochemistry in a gradient-based, multiparameter study in Pennsylvania
The number of horizontally drilled shale oil and gas wells in the United States has increased from nearly 28,000 in 2007 to nearly 127,000 in 2017, and research has suggested the potential for the development of shale resources to affect nearby stream ecosystems. However, the ability to generalize current studies is limited by the small geographic scope as well as limited breadth and...
Authors
Adam Mumford, Kelly O. Maloney, Denise M. Akob, Sarah Nettemann, Arianne Proctor, Jason Ditty, Luke Ulsamer, Josh Lookenbill, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
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
Non-USGS Publications**
Dale, V. H., P. J. Mulholland, L. M. Olsen, J. W. Feminella, K. O. Maloney, D. C. White, A. Peacock, and T. Foster. 2004. Selecting a suite of ecological indicators for resource management. L. A. Kapustka, H. Gilbraith, M. Luxon, and G. R. Biddinger (editors). Landscape ecology and wildlife habitat evaluation: critical information for ecological risk assessment, land-use, management activities and biodiversity enhancement practices. American Society for Testing and Materials STP 1458. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA.
Maloney, K.O. and D.E. Weller. 2011. Anthropogenic disturbance and streams: land use and land-use change affect stream ecosystems via multiple pathways. Freshwater Biology 56: 611-626. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2010.02522.x
**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.