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: 47
Ecological risks of shale oil and gas development to wildlife, aquatic resources and their habitats
Technological advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have led to the exploration and exploitation of shale oil and gas both nationally and internationally. Extensive development of shale resources has occurred within the United States over the past decade, yet full build out is not expected to occur for years. Moreover, countries across the globe have large shale...
Authors
Margaret C. Brittingham, Kelly O. Maloney, Aida Farag, David Harper, Zachary H. Bowen
Progress toward establishing a national assessment of water availability and use
The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-11) was passed into law on March 30, 2009. Subtitle F, also known as the SECURE Water Act, calls for the establishment of a "national water availability and use assessment program" within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). A major driver for this recommendation was that national water availability and use have not been...
Authors
William Alley, Eric Evenson, Nancy L. Barber, Breton W. Bruce, Kevin F. Dennehy, Mary Freeman, Ward O. Freeman, Jeffrey Fischer, William B. Hughes, Jonathan Kennen, Julie E. Kiang, Kelly O. Maloney, MaryLynn Musgrove, Barbara Ralston, Steven Tessler, James Verdin
Habitat persistence for sedentary organisms in managed rivers: the case for the federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) in the Delaware River
1. To manage the environmental flow requirements of sedentary taxa, such as mussels and aquatic insects with fixed retreats, we need a measure of habitat availability over a variety of flows (i.e. a measure of persistent habitat). Habitat suitability measures in current environmental flow assessments are measured on a ‘flow by flow’ basis and thus are not appropriate for these taxa. Here...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, William A. Lellis, Randy Bennett, Terry J. Waddle
Applying additive modeling and gradient boosting to assess the effects of watershed and reach characteristics on riverine assemblages
Issues with ecological data (e.g. non-normality of errors, nonlinear relationships and autocorrelation of variables) and modelling (e.g. overfitting, variable selection and prediction) complicate regression analyses in ecology. Flexible models, such as generalized additive models (GAMs), can address data issues, and machine learning techniques (e.g. gradient boosting) can help resolve...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Matthias Schmid, Donald E. Weller
Production and disposal of waste materials from gas and oil extraction from the Marcellus Shale Play in Pennsylvania
The increasing world demand for energy has led to an increase in the exploration and extraction of natural gas, condensate, and oil from unconventional organic-rich shale plays. However, little is known about the quantity, transport, and disposal method of wastes produced during the extraction process. We examined the quantity of waste produced by gas extraction activities from the...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, David A. Yoxtheimer
Anthropogenic disturbance and landscape patterns affect diversity patterns of aquatic benthic macroinvertebrates
Measures of species diversity are valuable tools for assessing ecosystem health. However, most assessments have addressed individual sites or regional taxon pools, with few comparisons of differences in assemblage composition within or among regions. We examined the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on local richness (α diversity) and species turnover (β diversity) of benthic...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, P. Munguia, R.M. Mitchell
Metacommunity theory as a multispecies, multiscale framework for studying the influence of river network structure on riverine communities and ecosystems
Explaining the mechanisms underlying patterns of species diversity and composition in riverine networks is challenging. Historically, community ecologists have conceived of communities as largely isolated entities and have focused on local environmental factors and interspecific interactions as the major forces determining species composition. However, stream ecologists have long...
Authors
B.L. Brown, C.M. Swan, D.A. Auerbach, Grant E.H. Campbell, Nathaniel P. Hitt, Kelly O. Maloney, C. Patrick
Effects of littoral habitat complexity and sunfish composition on fish production
Habitat complexity is a key driver of food web dynamics because physical structure dictates resource availability to a community. Changes in fish diversity can also alter trophic interactions and energy pathways in food webs. Few studies have examined the direct, indirect, and interactive effects of biodiversity and habitat complexity on fish production. We explored the effects of...
Authors
Michael P. Carey, Kelly O. Maloney, Steven R. Chipps, David B. Wahl
Landuse legacies and small streams: Identifying relationships between historical land use and contemporary stream conditions
The concept of landscape legacies has been examined extensively in terrestrial ecosystems and has led to a greater understanding of contemporary ecosystem processes. However, although stream ecosystems are tightly coupled with their catchments and, thus, probably are affected strongly by historical catchment conditions, few studies have directly examined the importance of landuse...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, J.W. Feminella, R.M. Mitchell, S.A. Miller, P. J. Mulholland, J.N. Houser
Upland disturbance affects headwater stream nutrients and suspended sediments during baseflow and stormflow
Because catchment characteristics determine sediment and nutrient inputs to streams, upland disturbance can affect stream chemistry. Catchments at the Fort Benning Military Installation (near Columbus, Georgia) experience a range of upland disturbance intensities due to spatial variability in the intensity of military training. We used this disturbance gradient to investigate the effects...
Authors
J.N. Houser, P. J. Mulholland, Kelly O. Maloney
Catchment disturbance and stream metabolism: Patterns in ecosystem respiration and gross primary production along a gradient of upland soil and vegetation disturbance
Catchment characteristics determine the inputs of sediments and nutrients to streams. As a result, natural or anthropogenic disturbance of upland soil and vegetation can affect instream processes. The Fort Benning Military Installation (near Columbus, Georgia) exhibits a wide range of upland disturbance levels because of spatial variability in the intensity of military training. This...
Authors
J.N. Houser, P. J. Mulholland, Kelly O. Maloney
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.
Filter Total Items: 24
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Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 47
Ecological risks of shale oil and gas development to wildlife, aquatic resources and their habitats
Technological advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have led to the exploration and exploitation of shale oil and gas both nationally and internationally. Extensive development of shale resources has occurred within the United States over the past decade, yet full build out is not expected to occur for years. Moreover, countries across the globe have large shale...
Authors
Margaret C. Brittingham, Kelly O. Maloney, Aida Farag, David Harper, Zachary H. Bowen
Progress toward establishing a national assessment of water availability and use
The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-11) was passed into law on March 30, 2009. Subtitle F, also known as the SECURE Water Act, calls for the establishment of a "national water availability and use assessment program" within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). A major driver for this recommendation was that national water availability and use have not been...
Authors
William Alley, Eric Evenson, Nancy L. Barber, Breton W. Bruce, Kevin F. Dennehy, Mary Freeman, Ward O. Freeman, Jeffrey Fischer, William B. Hughes, Jonathan Kennen, Julie E. Kiang, Kelly O. Maloney, MaryLynn Musgrove, Barbara Ralston, Steven Tessler, James Verdin
Habitat persistence for sedentary organisms in managed rivers: the case for the federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) in the Delaware River
1. To manage the environmental flow requirements of sedentary taxa, such as mussels and aquatic insects with fixed retreats, we need a measure of habitat availability over a variety of flows (i.e. a measure of persistent habitat). Habitat suitability measures in current environmental flow assessments are measured on a ‘flow by flow’ basis and thus are not appropriate for these taxa. Here...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, William A. Lellis, Randy Bennett, Terry J. Waddle
Applying additive modeling and gradient boosting to assess the effects of watershed and reach characteristics on riverine assemblages
Issues with ecological data (e.g. non-normality of errors, nonlinear relationships and autocorrelation of variables) and modelling (e.g. overfitting, variable selection and prediction) complicate regression analyses in ecology. Flexible models, such as generalized additive models (GAMs), can address data issues, and machine learning techniques (e.g. gradient boosting) can help resolve...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Matthias Schmid, Donald E. Weller
Production and disposal of waste materials from gas and oil extraction from the Marcellus Shale Play in Pennsylvania
The increasing world demand for energy has led to an increase in the exploration and extraction of natural gas, condensate, and oil from unconventional organic-rich shale plays. However, little is known about the quantity, transport, and disposal method of wastes produced during the extraction process. We examined the quantity of waste produced by gas extraction activities from the...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, David A. Yoxtheimer
Anthropogenic disturbance and landscape patterns affect diversity patterns of aquatic benthic macroinvertebrates
Measures of species diversity are valuable tools for assessing ecosystem health. However, most assessments have addressed individual sites or regional taxon pools, with few comparisons of differences in assemblage composition within or among regions. We examined the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on local richness (α diversity) and species turnover (β diversity) of benthic...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, P. Munguia, R.M. Mitchell
Metacommunity theory as a multispecies, multiscale framework for studying the influence of river network structure on riverine communities and ecosystems
Explaining the mechanisms underlying patterns of species diversity and composition in riverine networks is challenging. Historically, community ecologists have conceived of communities as largely isolated entities and have focused on local environmental factors and interspecific interactions as the major forces determining species composition. However, stream ecologists have long...
Authors
B.L. Brown, C.M. Swan, D.A. Auerbach, Grant E.H. Campbell, Nathaniel P. Hitt, Kelly O. Maloney, C. Patrick
Effects of littoral habitat complexity and sunfish composition on fish production
Habitat complexity is a key driver of food web dynamics because physical structure dictates resource availability to a community. Changes in fish diversity can also alter trophic interactions and energy pathways in food webs. Few studies have examined the direct, indirect, and interactive effects of biodiversity and habitat complexity on fish production. We explored the effects of...
Authors
Michael P. Carey, Kelly O. Maloney, Steven R. Chipps, David B. Wahl
Landuse legacies and small streams: Identifying relationships between historical land use and contemporary stream conditions
The concept of landscape legacies has been examined extensively in terrestrial ecosystems and has led to a greater understanding of contemporary ecosystem processes. However, although stream ecosystems are tightly coupled with their catchments and, thus, probably are affected strongly by historical catchment conditions, few studies have directly examined the importance of landuse...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, J.W. Feminella, R.M. Mitchell, S.A. Miller, P. J. Mulholland, J.N. Houser
Upland disturbance affects headwater stream nutrients and suspended sediments during baseflow and stormflow
Because catchment characteristics determine sediment and nutrient inputs to streams, upland disturbance can affect stream chemistry. Catchments at the Fort Benning Military Installation (near Columbus, Georgia) experience a range of upland disturbance intensities due to spatial variability in the intensity of military training. We used this disturbance gradient to investigate the effects...
Authors
J.N. Houser, P. J. Mulholland, Kelly O. Maloney
Catchment disturbance and stream metabolism: Patterns in ecosystem respiration and gross primary production along a gradient of upland soil and vegetation disturbance
Catchment characteristics determine the inputs of sediments and nutrients to streams. As a result, natural or anthropogenic disturbance of upland soil and vegetation can affect instream processes. The Fort Benning Military Installation (near Columbus, Georgia) exhibits a wide range of upland disturbance levels because of spatial variability in the intensity of military training. This...
Authors
J.N. Houser, P. J. Mulholland, Kelly O. Maloney
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.
Filter Total Items: 24
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