Mary Freeman, Ph.D.
Biography
Mary Freeman is a research ecologist with the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and is stationed in Athens, GA. She received a B.S. in biology (1979), a M.S. in entomology (1982) and a Ph.D. in forest resources (1990) from the University of Georgia. Before joining Patuxent, Mary conducted research for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Biological Service in Auburn, AL (1992-1996). Mary serves as affiliate faculty at the Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, and on the graduate faculties at the University of Georgia and Auburn University.
Science and Products
Quantifying Effects of Flow Variability on Riverine Biota
The Challenge: Ecologists have shown that many ecological processes in rivers, including organism growth, reproduction, survival and dispersal, are attuned to natural patterns of streamflow variability. However, to predict how riverine biota will respond to flow alteration caused by, for example, water diversions and dam operations, ecologists need to understand the mechanisms through which...
WaterSMART: Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/ Flint River (ACF) Basin
The Challenge: The DOI WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) initiative is developing data and tools to help water managers identify current and future water shortages, for humans and for freshwater ecosystems. Fishes, for example, can decline in diversity and abundance when streamflow becomes too low, for too long. However, ecologists find that effects of declining...
Annual survival, site fidelity, and longevity in the eastern population of the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
Data comprise 6632 observations of individually banded Painted Buntings, captured and observed from 1999-2016 at 40 study locations on the southeastern Atlantic Coast (NC, SC, GA and FL, US).
The missing dead: The lost role of animal remains in nutrient cycling in North American Rivers
While leaf litter, wood, and other plant remnants are known to play a central role in lotic ecosystems, animal remains (carcasses, bones, shells) have received less attention. We propose a simple classification scheme for animal remains in rivers based on origin (authochthonous vs. allochthonous) and frequency (pulsed vs continuous). We then...
Wengerd, Seth J.; Subalusky, Amanda L.; Freeman, Mary C. Stream fish colonization but not persistence varies regionally across a large North American river basin
Many species have distributions that span distinctly different physiographic regions, and effective conservation of such taxa will require a full accounting of all factors that potentially influence populations. Ecologists recognize effects of physiographic differences in topography, geology and climate on local habitat configurations, and thus...
Wheeler, Kit; Wengerd, Seth J.; Walsh, Stephen J.; Martin, Zachary P.; Jelks, Howard L.; Freeman, Mary C. Long-term monitoring data provide evidence of declining species richness in a river valued for biodiversity conservation
Free-flowing river segments provide refuges for many imperiled aquatic biota that have been extirpated elsewhere in their native ranges. These biodiversity refuges are also foci of conservation concerns because species persisting within isolated habitat fragments may be particularly vulnerable to local environmental change. We have analyzed long-...
Freeman, Mary C.; Hagler, Megan M.; Bumpers, Phillip M.; Wheeler, Kit; Wengerd, Seth J.; Freeman, Byron J. Local adaptation in Trinidadian guppies alters stream ecosystem structure at landscape scales despite high environmental variability
While previous studies have shown that evolutionary divergence alters ecological processes in small-scale experiments, a major challenge is to assess whether such evolutionary effects are important in natural ecosystems at larger spatial scales. At the landscape scale, across eight streams in the Caroni drainage, we found that the presence of...
Simon, Troy N.; Bassar, Ronald D.; Binderup, Andrew J.; Flecker, Alex S.; Freeman, Mary C.; Gilliam, James F.; Marshall, Michael C.; Thomas, Steve A.; Travis, Joseph; Reznick, David N.; Pringle, Catherine M. Ecology of the macrophyte Podostemum ceratophyllum Michx. (Hornleaf riverweed), a widespread foundation species of eastern North American rivers
Podostemum ceratophyllum, commonly called Hornleaf Riverweed, occurs in mid-order montane and piedmont rivers of eastern North America, where the plant grows submerged and attached to rocks and stable substrates in swift, aerated water. Multiple studies, mostly conducted in the southern portions of the plant’s range, have shown that Podostemum can...
Wood, James; Freeman, Mary C. Organic-matter retention and macroinvertebrate utilization of seasonally inundated bryophytes in a mid-order Piedmont River
There is increased understanding of the role of bryophytes in supporting invertebrate biomass and for their influence on nutrient cycling and carbon balance in aquatic systems, but the structural and functional role of bryophytes growing in seasonally inundated habitats is substantially less studied. We conducted a study on the Middle Oconee River...
Wood, James; Pattillo, Meryom; Freeman, Mary C. Integrating modeling, monitoring, and management to reduce critical uncertainties in water resource decision making
Peterson, James T.; Freeman, Mary C. Ecological resistance in urban streams: the role of natural and legacy attributes
Urbanization substantially changes the physicochemical and biological characteristics of streams. The trajectory of negative effect is broadly similar around the world, but the nature and magnitude of ecological responses to urban growth differ among locations. Some heterogeneity in response arises from differences in the level of urban...
Utz, Ryan M.; Hopkins, Kristina G.; Beesley, Leah; Booth, Derek B.; Hawley, Robert J.; Baker, Matthew E.; Freeman, Mary C.; Jones, Krista L. Application of effective discharge analysis to environmental flow decision-making
Well-informed river management decisions rely on an explicit statement of objectives, repeatable analyses, and a transparent system for assessing trade-offs. These components may then be applied to compare alternative operational regimes for water resource infrastructure (e.g., diversions, locks, and dams). Intra- and inter-annual hydrologic...
McKay, S. Kyle; Freeman, Mary C.; Covich, A.P. Using occupancy modeling and logistic regression to assess the distribution of shrimp species in lowland streams, Costa Rica: Does regional groundwater create favorable habitat?
Freshwater shrimps are an important biotic component of tropical ecosystems. However, they can have a low probability of detection when abundances are low. We sampled 3 of the most common freshwater shrimp species, Macrobrachium olfersii, Macrobrachium carcinus, and Macrobrachium heterochirus, and used occupancy modeling and logistic...
Snyder, Marcia; Freeman, Mary C.; Purucker, S. Thomas; Pringle, Catherine M. Shoal basses: A clade of cryptic identity
Shoal basses are a cryptic clade composed of Micropterus spp. restricted to the Apalachicola River system and three southeastern Atlantic slope river drainages in the southeastern United States. This reciprocally monophyletic clade includes the Shoal Bass M. cataractae (endemic to the Apalachicola River system), the Chattahoochee Bass M....
Freeman, Byron J.; Taylor, Andrew T.; Oswald, Kenneth J.; Wares, John; Freeman, Mary C.; Quattro, Joseph M.; Leitner, Jean K. Evidence of population resistance to extreme low flows in a fluvial-dependent fish species
Extreme low streamflows are natural disturbances to aquatic populations. Species in naturally intermittent streams display adaptations that enhance persistence during extreme events; however, the fate of populations in perennial streams during unprecedented low-flow periods is not well-understood. Biota requiring swift-flowing habitats may be...
Katz, Rachel A.; Freeman, Mary C.