Ryan Utz, Ph.D.

Photo of Ryan Utz
Associate Professor
412-365-1326
Eden Hall LDG10

Hometown: Gibsonia, PA
Joined Chatham: 2015

ACADEMIC AREAS OF INTEREST

Urban stream ecology, restoration ecology, salmonid life history and bioenergetics, fisheries science, dedacal-scale physicochemical changes in stream ecosystems.

PERSONAL AREAS OF INTEREST

Backpacking, botany, hard cider brewing, photography, and fly-fishing.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Ryan Utz is an aquatic ecologist who focuses on urban streams, salmonids, ecological restoration, and detecting environmental trends at broad spatio-temporal scales. Prior to joining Chatham, Dr. Utz served for four years as an aquatic ecologist at the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). Past research projects have included an assessment of river enhancement to improve habitat for Chinook salmon in California's Central Valley, comparing how effects of urbanization on streams differ between ecoregions of Maryland, and exploring bioenergetic patterns of brook trout in West Virginia.

EDUCATION
  • PhD, University of Maryland (College Park, MD), 2010
  • MSc, West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV), 2005
  • BS, University of Miami (Miami, FL), 2003
CERTIFICATIONS
  • Wilderness First Responder
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
  • Kaushal, S.S., Shelton, S., Mayer, P.M., Kellmayer, B., Utz, R.M., Reimer, J.E., Baljunas, J., Bhide, S.V., Mon, A., Rodriguez-Cardona, B.M., Grant, S.B., Newcomer-Johnson, T.A., Malin, J.T., Shatkay, R.S., Collison, D.C., Papgeorgiou, K., Escobar, J., Rippy, M., Likens, G., Najjar, R.G., Meija, A.I., Lassiter, A., Li, M., and R.J. Chant. 2025. Freshwater faces a warmer, saltier, and alkaline future: 10 risks from climate change, saltwater intrusion, and chain reactions. Biogeochemistry 168: 31.
  • Baljunas, J.B., Betts, J.T., Román-Heracleo, J., M. Springer, and R.M. Utz. 2024. Mesohabitat affinities of benthic macroinvertebrates in protected lowland rainforest streams of southeast Nicaragua. Freshwater Science 43: 453-465.
  • Ward, D. and R. Utz. 2024. Winners and losers: Competition and the invasive grass Bromus inermis. Acta Oecologica 124: 104021.
  • McEvoy, H., Parker, S., Merola-Lapson, J., Taylor, I., Woods, P. and R. Utz. 2024. A decadal-scale comparison of lotic Odonata nymph surveys in northern Pennsylvania, USA reveals possible assemblage restructuring. International Journal of Odonatology 27: 161-171.
  • Utz, R.M., Leo, N., Grund, S., Zimmerman, E., and C. Tracey. 2024. Hydroecology of Marshallia pulchra, a riverscour endemic forb of high gradient rivers in the eastern United States. Natural Areas Journal 44: 76-86.
  • Corrêa, E.C., Utz, R.M., Cesar de Aquino Ribas, A., Viana, D., Dalponti, G., Covich, A.P., and F. de Oliveira Roque. 2024. No effects of macroconsumer exclusion on macroinvertebrate functional composition in Brazilian karst streams along a gradient of riparian forest loss. Biotropica 56: e13309.
  • Kaushal, S.S., Likens, G.E., Mayer, P.M. Shatkay, R.R., Shelton, S., Grant, S.B., Utz, R.M., Yaculak, A., Maas, C.M., Reimer, J.E., Bhide, S., Malin, J., and M. Rippy. 2023. The anthropogenic salt cycle. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 4: 770-784.
  • Ng, M., McCormick, A., Utz, R.M., and J.M. Heberling. 2023. Has climate change altered poison ivy over the last century? An empirical test using herbarium specimens. American Journal of Botany 110: e16225. 
  • Corrêa, E.C., and R.M. Utz. 2023. Effects of agricultural expansion on lotic benthic macroinvertebrates communities: a review and case study from Brazil. Pages 117-135 in Myster, R.W. Neotropical Gradients and their Analysis. Springer, New York.
  • Utz, R.M., Hart‡, I.S., and Q. Rice. 2023. Soil arthropod communities associated with Berberis thunbergia invasion in a temperate deciduous forest harbor more detritivores. Ecological Entomology 48: 512-516.
  • Bierker‡, S.R., Brubaker‡, F., Scheideman‡, K.E., Ciamacco, M., Harris‡, M.E., and R.M. Utz. 2023. Small mammals perceive most fruits of invasive plants as low-quality forage in a Pennsylvanian forest and meadow. Northeastern Naturalist 30: 24-40.
  • Kaushal, S., Mayer, P., Likens, G., Reimer, J., Maas, C., Hart, I., Utz, R., Shatkay, R., Wessel, B., Maietta, C., Pace, M., Duan, S., Boger, W., Yaculak, A., Galella, J., Wood, K., Morel, C., Nguyen, W., Querubin, S., Sukert, R., Lowien, A., Houde, A., Roussel, A., Houston, A., Cacopardo, A., Ho, C., Talbod-Wendlandt, H., Widmer, J. Slagle, J., Bader, J., Chong, J., Wollney, J., Kim, J., Shepherd, L., Wilfong, M., Houlihan, M., Sedghi, N., Butcher, R., Chaudhary, S, and W. Becker. 2023. Five state factors control progressive stages of freshwater salinization syndrome. Limnology and Oceanography Letters 8: 190-211.
  • Wood, J.L. and R.M. Utz. 2022. Southward expansion of the invasive riparian monocot Butomus umbellatus L. (Butomaceae) into the Allegheny and Ohio River watersheds is supported by citizen science observations and a formal collection. Castanea 87: 302-305. 
  • Utz, R.M., Bidlack, S.M., Fisher, B. and S.S. Kaushal. 2022. Quantifying the importance of urbanization as a driver of freshwater salinization in the northeastern United States. Journal of Environmental Quality 51: 952-965.
  • Parker, S.M. and R.M Utz. 2022. Temporal design for aquatic organismal sampling across the National Ecological Observatory Network. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 13: 1834-1848.
  • Betras, T.L., de Cortie, E., Carroll, A., Utz, R., and W.P. Carson. 2022. Do invasive species provide refuge from browsers? A test of associational resistance in a peri-urban habitat plagued by deer. Forest Management and Ecology 510: 120086.
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  • Ardón, M., Zeglin, L.H., Utz, R.M., Cooper. D.S., Dodds, W.K., Bixby, R.J., Burdett, A., Follstad-Shah, J., Griffiths, N.A., Harms, T.K., Johnson, L.T., Johnson, S.L., Jones, J., Kominoski, J.S., McDowell, W., Rosemond, A.D., Trentman, M.T., Van Horn. D., and A. Ward. 2021. Experimental nitrogen and phosphorus enrichment stimulates multiple trophic levels of algal and detrital-based food webs: a global meta-analysis from streams and rivers. Biological Reviews 96:692-715.
  • Utz, R.M., B. Bookout and S. Kaushal. 2020. Influence of temperature and precipitation on diel variations in dissolved oxygen concentrations in rural and urban headwater streams. Aquatic Sciences 82:82.
  • Blinn, H., Utz, R.M., Greiner, L.H., and D.R. Brown. 2020. Exposure assessment of adults living near unconventional oil and natural gas development and reported health symptoms in southwest Pennsylvania, USA. PLoS ONE 15: e0237325.
  • Utz, R.M. and M.N. Fetsko. 2020. Exploratory survey of salamander assemblages in Pennsylvanian forests with dense understories of Berberis thunbergii, an invasive shrub. Northeastern Naturalist 27:299-306.
  • Sonn, J.M., Utz, R.M., and C.L. Richards-Zawacki. 2019. Effects of latitudinal, seasonal and daily temperature variation on chytrid fungal infections in a North American frog. Ecosphere 10: e02892.
  • Mannino, J.C., Isaac, B.L., and R.M. Utz. 2019. New Allegheny County, Pennsylvania occurrences for Crataegus chrysocarpa and Geranium dissectum plus the rediscovery of Sherardia arvensis. Bartonia 70: 93-95.
  • Kaushal, S.S., Likens, G.E., Pace, M.L., Haq, S., Wood, K.L., Gallela, J., Morel, C., Doody, T.R., Wessel, B., Kortelainen, P., Raike, A., Skinner†, V., Utz, R., and N. Jaworski. 2019. Novel 'chemical cocktails' in inland waters are a consequence of the Freshwater Salinization Syndrome. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 374: 20180017.
  • Link, A.F., Turnblacer, T., Snyder, C. K., Daugherty, S.E., and R.M. Utz. 2018. Low recruitment of native trees in a deciduous forest associated with Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC) invasion. Invasive Plant Science and Management 11: 1-7.
  • Pennino, M.J., Kaushal, S.S., Mayer, P.M., Utz, R., and C.A. Cooper. 2016. Stream restoration and sanitary infrastructure alter sources and fluxes of water, carbon, and nitrogen in urban watersheds. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 20: 3419-3439.
  • Goring, S.J., Weathers, K.C., Dodds, W.K., Sorrano, P.A., Sweet, L.C., Cheruvelli, K.S., Kominoski, J.S., Ruegg, J., Thorn, A.M., and R.M. Utz. 2014. The collaborative culture of macrosystems ecology: optimizing participant benefits. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 12: 39-47.
  • Utz, R.M. and M. Denslow. 2014. Noteworthy collections: Colorado. Madroño 61: 251. [First reported occurrence of wild Muscari neglectum (Hyacinthaceae) in Colorado].
  • Utz, R.M., Zeug, S.C., Cardinale, B.J., and L.K. Albertson. 2012. Trophic ecology and population attributes of two resident non-game fishes in riverine habitat engineered to enhance salmon spawning success. California Fish and Game 98: 104-124.
  • Utz, R.M., Eshelman, K.N. and R.H. Hilderbrand. 2011. Variation in physicochemical responses to urbanization between two Mid-Atlantic physiographic regions. Ecological Applications 21: 402-415.
  • Hilderbrand, R.H., Utz, R.M., Stranko, S.A., and R.L. Raesly. 2010. Â鶹ÒùÔºing ecological thresholds to forecast biodiversity loss from human development. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 29: 1009-1016.