Fish community and species distribution predictions for streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

This data release contains predictions of selected  fish community metrics and fish species occurrence using Random Forest models with landscape data for inland reaches across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW). Predictions were made at four time intervals (2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016) according to changes in landcover using the National Land Cover Database (NLCD). The fish sampling data used to compute these metrics were compiled from various fish sampling programs conducted by state and federal agencies, county governments, universities, and river basin commissions across the watershed. Community metrics describe composition, tolerances, habitat preferences, and functional traits of fish communities (and were derived from Krause and [...]