Mary Ann Madej
Biography
Mary Ann Madej has published more than 50 papers and has presented study results at meetings in New Zealand, England, Italy, Canada, Brazil, and Japan as well as around the U.S. Mary Ann is also an Adjunct Professor at Humboldt State University, where she has served as advisor for many student projects and theses. She works cooperatively with several other agencies, organizations and landowners in north coastal California.
EDUCATION
- Ph.D. 2000 Geosciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
- M.S. 1978 Geology, University of Washington, Seattle WA
- B.A. 1975 Geology, Knox College, Galesburg, IL
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- 1994-Present: Research Geologist, USGS Western Ecological Research Center/ Adjunct Professor, Humboldt State University
- 1992-1994: Research Geologist, National Park Service, Western Region
- 1978-1992: Geologist, Redwood National Park, California
- 1977-1978: Geologist, Environmental Protection Agency (contract)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- fluvial geomorphology
- sediment transport
- effects of land use on geomorphic processes
- watershed restoration
- monitoring
- stream temperature modeling
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS
- American Geophysical Union
- American Fisheries Society
- American Water Resources Association
- British Geomorphological Research Group
- Geological Society of America
- George Wright Society Society for Ecological Restoration
Science and Products
Redwood Field Station
The Redwood Field Station is located in Arcata, CA. Click on the following tab to learn more.
Introduction to special issue on carbon and landscape dynamics
In October, 2013, at the Geological Society of America annual meeting, a theme session focused on carbon and landscape dynamics. That event led to interest in producing a special issue in ESPL compiling papers on this subject. The 13 papers collected for this special issue reflect the diversity of recent geomorphic research, across a...
Madej, Mary Ann; Wohl, Ellen E. Export of fine particulate organic carbon from redwood-dominated catchments
Recently, researchers have recognized the significant role of small mountainous river systems in the transport of carbon from terrestrial environments to the ocean, and the scale of such studies have ranged from channel bed units to continents. In temperate zones, these mountain river systems commonly drain catchments that are largely forested....
Madej, Mary Ann Soil carbon storage following road removal and timber harvesting in redwood forests
Soil carbon storage plays a key role in the global carbon cycle and is important for sustaining forest productivity. Removal of unpaved forest roads has the potential for increasing carbon storage in soils on forested terrain as treated sites revegetate and soil properties improve on the previously compacted road surfaces. We compared soil organic...
Seney, Joseph; Madej, Mary Ann
Users' guide to system dynamics model describing Coho salmon survival in Olema Creek, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County, California
The system dynamics model described in this report is the result of a collaboration between U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists and National Park Service (NPS) San Francisco Bay Area Network (SFAN) staff, whose goal was to develop a methodology to integrate inventory and monitoring data to better understand ecosystem dynamics and trends using...
Woodward, Andrea; Torregrosa, Alicia; Madej, Mary Ann; Reichmuth, Michael; Fong, Darren Estimating ecosystem carbon stocks at Redwood National and State Parks
Accounting for ecosystem carbon is increasingly important for park managers. In this case study we present our efforts to estimate carbon stocks and the effects of management on carbon stocks for Redwood National and State Parks in northern California. Using currently available information, we estimate that on average these parks’ soils contain...
van Mantgem, Phillip J.; Madej, Mary Ann; Seney, Joseph; Deshais, Janelle Trends in the suspended-sediment yields of coastal rivers of northern California, 1955–2010
Time-dependencies of suspended-sediment discharge from six coastal watersheds of northern California – Smith River, Klamath River, Trinity River, Redwood Creek, Mad River, and Eel River – were evaluated using monitoring data from 1955 to 2010. Suspended-sediment concentrations revealed time-dependent hysteresis and multi-year trends. The multi-...
Warrick, J.A.; Madej, Mary Ann; Goñi, M. A.; Wheatcroft, R.A. Effects of road decommissioning on carbon stocks, losses, and emissions in north coastal California
During the last 3 decades, many road removal projects have been implemented on public and private lands in the United States to reduce erosion and other impacts from abandoned or unmaintained forest roads. Although effective in decreasing sediment production from roads, such activities have a carbon (C) cost as well as representing a carbon...
Madej, Mary Ann; Seney, Joseph; van Mantgem, Philip
Linking physical monitoring to coho and Chinook salmon populations in the Redwood Creek Watershed, California—Summary of May 3–4, 2012 Workshop
On Thursday, May 3, 2012, a science workshop was held at the Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) office in Arcata, California, with researchers and resource managers working in RNSP to share data and expert opinions concerning salmon populations and habitat in the Redwood Creek watershed. The focus of the workshop was to discuss how best to...
Madej, Mary Ann; Torregrosa, Alicia; Woodward, Andrea Analysis of trends in climate, streamflow, and stream temperature in north coastal California
As part of a broader project analyzing trends in climate, streamflow, vegetation, salmon, and ocean conditions in northern California national park units, we compiled average monthly air temperature and precipitation data from 73 climate stations, streamflow data from 21 river gaging stations, and limited stream temperature data from salmon-...
Medley, C. Nicholas; Patterson, Glenn; Parker, Melanie J.; Madej, Mary Ann Temporal and spatial distribution of landslides in the Redwood Creek Basin, Northern California
Mass movement processes are a dominant means of supplying sediment to mountainous rivers of north coastal California, but the episodic nature of landslides represents a challenge to interpreting patterns of slope instability. This study compares two major landslide events occurring in 1964-1975 and in 1997 in the Redwood Creek basin in north...
Medley, C. Nicholas; Patterson, Glenn; Parker, Melanie J.; Madej, Mary Ann Assessing effects of changing land use practices on sediment loads in Panther Creek, north coastal California
Revisions to the California Forest Practice Rules since 1974 were intended to increase protection of water quality in streams draining timber harvest areas. The effects of improved timber harvesting methods and road designs on sediment loading are assessed for the Panther Creek basin, a 15.4 km2 watershed in Humboldt County, north coastal...
Madej, Mary Ann; Bundros, Greg; Klein, Randy Redwoods, restoration, and implications for carbon budgets
The coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) of California have several unique characteristics that influence interactions between vegetation and geomorphic processes. Case studies, using a combination of in-channel wood surveys and an air photo inventory of landslides, illustrate current conditions in a redwood-dominated watershed undergoing...
Madej, Mary Ann
WERC Scientists Receive Prestigious Awards for Research on Songbirds, Mountain Ecosystems
This month, we recognize two WERC scientists for their decades of research on endangered songbirds, and the geology and hydrology of mountain ecosystems.