Molly Van Appledorn, PhD
My research centers on understanding how river-floodplain ecosystems function by combining tools and approaches from the disciplines of ecology, hydrology, hydraulics, geomorphology, geographic information science, and statistics. By unpacking important ecosystem processes I can contribute to better stewardship of the unique sets of natural resources they support.
A large focus of my work is to describe the relationships between flooding dynamics and ecological patterns and processes. I also regularly collaborate with other scientists to understand how river-floodplain ecosystems respond to changing hydrology; silvicultural best practices in floodplain forests; and how hydrologic, sediment, and wood regimes interact to shape the quality and distribution of aquatic habitats. The research is used to inform management practices by partner agencies and stakeholders to ensure the long-term sustainability of our ecosystems.
Professional Experience
2023 - Present: Research Ecologist, USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (La Crosse, Wisconsin)
2016 - 2023: Ecologist, USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (La Crosse, Wisconsin)
2019 - Present: Graduate Faculty, Natural Resources Science & Management Graduate Program, University of Minnesota (St. Paul, Minnesota)
2018 - Present: Graduate Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse (La Crosse, Wisconsin)
2018 - Present: Adjunct Faculty, Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Education and Certifications
Geography & Environmental Systems Ph.D., 2016, University of Maryland Baltimore County
Ecology M.S., 2009, Utah State University
Environmental Science B.S., 2003, University of Michigan
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 20
What is a stand? Assessing the variability of composition and structure in floodplain forest ecosystems across spatial scales in the Upper Mississippi River What is a stand? Assessing the variability of composition and structure in floodplain forest ecosystems across spatial scales in the Upper Mississippi River
The forest stand typically represents relatively homogenous forest conditions; the forest stand is generally the unit at which forest attributes are assessed, summarized, and subsequently managed. However, some ecosystems, such as the floodplain forests of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR), can exhibit high variability at fine spatial scales that can confound prescription development
Authors
Marcella Windmuller-Campione, Laura F. Reuling, Molly Van Appledorn, Daniel M. Nilesen, Andrew R. Meier
Loss of phylogenetic diversity under landscape change Loss of phylogenetic diversity under landscape change
Habitat alteration and destruction are primary drivers of biodiversity loss. However, the evolutionary dimensions of biodiversity loss remain largely unexplored in many systems. For example, little is known about how habitat alteration/loss can lead to phylogenetic deconstruction of ecological assemblages at the local level. That is, while species loss is evident, are some lineages...
Authors
Christopher M. Swan, Matthew Baker, Dorothy Borowy, Anna Johnson, Mariya Shcheglovitova, April Sparkman, Francisco V. Neto, Molly Van Appledorn, Nicole Voelker
Using Markov chains to quantitatively assess movement patterns of invasive fishes impacted by a carbon dioxide barrier in outdoor ponds Using Markov chains to quantitatively assess movement patterns of invasive fishes impacted by a carbon dioxide barrier in outdoor ponds
Natural resource managers use barriers to deter the movement of aquatic invasive species. Research and development of new invasive species barriers is often evaluated in pond and field scales using high‐resolution telemetry data. Telemetry data sets can be a rich source of data about fish movement and behavior but can be difficult to analyze due to the size of these data sets as well as...
Authors
Lauren K Borland, Collin J Mulcahy, Barb Bennie, Douglas D Baumann, Roger J. Haro, Molly Van Appledorn, Kathi Jo Jankowski, Aaron R. Cupp, Richard A. Erickson
Quantifying and mapping inundation regimes within a large river‐floodplain ecosystem for ecological and management applications Quantifying and mapping inundation regimes within a large river‐floodplain ecosystem for ecological and management applications
Spatial information on the distribution of ecosystem patterns and processes can be a critical component of designing and implementing effective management programs in river‐floodplain ecosystems. For example, translating how flood pulses detected within a stream gauge record are spatially manifested across a river‐valley bottom can be used to evaluate whether the current distribution of...
Authors
Molly Van Appledorn, Nathan R. De Jager, Jason J. Rohweder
Spatially explicit modelling of floodplain forest succession: Interactions among flood inundation, forest successional processes, and other disturbances in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain, USA Spatially explicit modelling of floodplain forest succession: Interactions among flood inundation, forest successional processes, and other disturbances in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain, USA
Simulation models are often used to identify hydrologic regimes suitable for different riparian or floodplain tree species. However, most existing models pay little attention to forest successional processes or other disturbances that may interact with the hydrologic regime of river systems to alter forest dynamics in space and time. In this study, we introduce a flood disturbance module...
Authors
Nathan R. De Jager, Molly Van Appledorn, Timothy J. Fox, Jason J. Rohweder, Lyle J. Guyon, Andrew R. Meier, Robert J. Cosgriff, Benjamin J. Vandermyde
Applying concepts of general resilience to large river ecosystems: A case study from the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers Applying concepts of general resilience to large river ecosystems: A case study from the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers
Large floodplain-river ecosystems are often highly modified to provide services that society desires, yet these modifications can limit an ecosystem’s ability to adapt to changing conditions. The adaptive capacity of an ecosystem, its general resilience, is a conceptual framework for considering how a system will respond to such changes. We sought to apply aspects of three general...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Jeffrey N. Houser, Nathan R. De Jager, Molly Van Appledorn, James T. Rogala
River‐valley morphology, basin size, and flow‐event magnitude interact to produce wide variation in flooding dynamics River‐valley morphology, basin size, and flow‐event magnitude interact to produce wide variation in flooding dynamics
Inundation dynamics are a key driver of ecosystem form and function in river‐valley bottoms. Inundation itself is an outcome of multi‐scalar interactions and can vary strongly within and among river reaches. As a result, establishing to what degree and how inundation dynamics vary spatially both within and among river reaches can be challenging. The objective of this study was to...
Authors
Molly Van Appledorn, Matthew E. Baker, Andrew J. Miller
Indicators of ecosystem structure and function for the Upper Mississippi River System Indicators of ecosystem structure and function for the Upper Mississippi River System
This report documents the development of quantitative measures (indicators) of ecosystem structure and function for use in a Habitat Needs Assessment (HNA) for the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). HNAs are led periodically by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program, which is the primary habitat restoration program on the UMRS. The UMRR...
Authors
Nathan R. De Jager, James T. Rogala, Jason J. Rohweder, Molly Van Appledorn, Kristen L. Bouska, Jeffrey N. Houser, Kathi Jo Jankowski
Non-USGS Publications**
Van Appledorn, M., Lamb, D.A., Albalak, K., Bach, C.E. 2007. Zebra mussels decrease burrowing ability and growth of a native snail, Campeloma decisum. Hydrobiologia 575: 441 - 445. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0280-3
Van Appledorn, M., Bach, C.E. 2007. Effects of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) on mobility of three native mollusk species. American Midland Naturalist 158(2): 329 - 338. https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031(2007)158[329:EOZMDP]2.0.CO;2
Van Appledorn, M., Baker, M.E., and Miller, A.J. 2019. Empirical evaluation of two-dimensional unsteady hydraulic models for applications in floodplain forest ecology. Physical Geography. DOI: 10.1080/02723646.2019.1676186
**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: 20
What is a stand? Assessing the variability of composition and structure in floodplain forest ecosystems across spatial scales in the Upper Mississippi River What is a stand? Assessing the variability of composition and structure in floodplain forest ecosystems across spatial scales in the Upper Mississippi River
The forest stand typically represents relatively homogenous forest conditions; the forest stand is generally the unit at which forest attributes are assessed, summarized, and subsequently managed. However, some ecosystems, such as the floodplain forests of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR), can exhibit high variability at fine spatial scales that can confound prescription development
Authors
Marcella Windmuller-Campione, Laura F. Reuling, Molly Van Appledorn, Daniel M. Nilesen, Andrew R. Meier
Loss of phylogenetic diversity under landscape change Loss of phylogenetic diversity under landscape change
Habitat alteration and destruction are primary drivers of biodiversity loss. However, the evolutionary dimensions of biodiversity loss remain largely unexplored in many systems. For example, little is known about how habitat alteration/loss can lead to phylogenetic deconstruction of ecological assemblages at the local level. That is, while species loss is evident, are some lineages...
Authors
Christopher M. Swan, Matthew Baker, Dorothy Borowy, Anna Johnson, Mariya Shcheglovitova, April Sparkman, Francisco V. Neto, Molly Van Appledorn, Nicole Voelker
Using Markov chains to quantitatively assess movement patterns of invasive fishes impacted by a carbon dioxide barrier in outdoor ponds Using Markov chains to quantitatively assess movement patterns of invasive fishes impacted by a carbon dioxide barrier in outdoor ponds
Natural resource managers use barriers to deter the movement of aquatic invasive species. Research and development of new invasive species barriers is often evaluated in pond and field scales using high‐resolution telemetry data. Telemetry data sets can be a rich source of data about fish movement and behavior but can be difficult to analyze due to the size of these data sets as well as...
Authors
Lauren K Borland, Collin J Mulcahy, Barb Bennie, Douglas D Baumann, Roger J. Haro, Molly Van Appledorn, Kathi Jo Jankowski, Aaron R. Cupp, Richard A. Erickson
Quantifying and mapping inundation regimes within a large river‐floodplain ecosystem for ecological and management applications Quantifying and mapping inundation regimes within a large river‐floodplain ecosystem for ecological and management applications
Spatial information on the distribution of ecosystem patterns and processes can be a critical component of designing and implementing effective management programs in river‐floodplain ecosystems. For example, translating how flood pulses detected within a stream gauge record are spatially manifested across a river‐valley bottom can be used to evaluate whether the current distribution of...
Authors
Molly Van Appledorn, Nathan R. De Jager, Jason J. Rohweder
Spatially explicit modelling of floodplain forest succession: Interactions among flood inundation, forest successional processes, and other disturbances in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain, USA Spatially explicit modelling of floodplain forest succession: Interactions among flood inundation, forest successional processes, and other disturbances in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain, USA
Simulation models are often used to identify hydrologic regimes suitable for different riparian or floodplain tree species. However, most existing models pay little attention to forest successional processes or other disturbances that may interact with the hydrologic regime of river systems to alter forest dynamics in space and time. In this study, we introduce a flood disturbance module...
Authors
Nathan R. De Jager, Molly Van Appledorn, Timothy J. Fox, Jason J. Rohweder, Lyle J. Guyon, Andrew R. Meier, Robert J. Cosgriff, Benjamin J. Vandermyde
Applying concepts of general resilience to large river ecosystems: A case study from the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers Applying concepts of general resilience to large river ecosystems: A case study from the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers
Large floodplain-river ecosystems are often highly modified to provide services that society desires, yet these modifications can limit an ecosystem’s ability to adapt to changing conditions. The adaptive capacity of an ecosystem, its general resilience, is a conceptual framework for considering how a system will respond to such changes. We sought to apply aspects of three general...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Jeffrey N. Houser, Nathan R. De Jager, Molly Van Appledorn, James T. Rogala
River‐valley morphology, basin size, and flow‐event magnitude interact to produce wide variation in flooding dynamics River‐valley morphology, basin size, and flow‐event magnitude interact to produce wide variation in flooding dynamics
Inundation dynamics are a key driver of ecosystem form and function in river‐valley bottoms. Inundation itself is an outcome of multi‐scalar interactions and can vary strongly within and among river reaches. As a result, establishing to what degree and how inundation dynamics vary spatially both within and among river reaches can be challenging. The objective of this study was to...
Authors
Molly Van Appledorn, Matthew E. Baker, Andrew J. Miller
Indicators of ecosystem structure and function for the Upper Mississippi River System Indicators of ecosystem structure and function for the Upper Mississippi River System
This report documents the development of quantitative measures (indicators) of ecosystem structure and function for use in a Habitat Needs Assessment (HNA) for the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). HNAs are led periodically by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program, which is the primary habitat restoration program on the UMRS. The UMRR...
Authors
Nathan R. De Jager, James T. Rogala, Jason J. Rohweder, Molly Van Appledorn, Kristen L. Bouska, Jeffrey N. Houser, Kathi Jo Jankowski
Non-USGS Publications**
Van Appledorn, M., Lamb, D.A., Albalak, K., Bach, C.E. 2007. Zebra mussels decrease burrowing ability and growth of a native snail, Campeloma decisum. Hydrobiologia 575: 441 - 445. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0280-3
Van Appledorn, M., Bach, C.E. 2007. Effects of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) on mobility of three native mollusk species. American Midland Naturalist 158(2): 329 - 338. https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031(2007)158[329:EOZMDP]2.0.CO;2
Van Appledorn, M., Baker, M.E., and Miller, A.J. 2019. Empirical evaluation of two-dimensional unsteady hydraulic models for applications in floodplain forest ecology. Physical Geography. DOI: 10.1080/02723646.2019.1676186
**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.