Cindy Thatcher
Cindy Thatcher is a geographer with the U.S. Geological Survey National Geospatial Program in Reston, VA.
She serves as the elevation planning and management lead for the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). She has a background in ecological applications of airborne and terrestrial lidar, with a focus on the use of lidar for mapping coastal topography and analyzing vegetation structure. Cindy previously worked at USGS science centers in Virginia, Louisiana, and Tennessee, where she conducted research on coastal environments, wetlands, and wildlife habitat.
Education and Certifications
Master’s degree in Geography from the University of Arkansas
Bachelor’s degree from James Madison University
Certified GIS Professional (GISP)
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 35
Introduction to emergent wetlands: Chapter A in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010 Introduction to emergent wetlands: Chapter A in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
Throughout the past century, emergent wetlands have been declining across the Gulf of Mexico. Emergent wetland ecosystems provide a plethora of resources including plant and wildlife habitat, commercial and recreational economic activity, water quality improvement, and natural barriers against storms. As emergent wetland losses increase, so does the need for information on the causes and...
Authors
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, René Baumstark, Ryan Moyer, Cindy A. Thatcher
Corpus Christi, Nueces, and Aransas Bays: Chapter C in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010 Corpus Christi, Nueces, and Aransas Bays: Chapter C in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
Corpus Christi Bay and Nueces Bay comprise the middle estuarine portion of Texas’ Coastal Bend region (Figure 1; Burgan and Engle, 2006). Aransas Bay is part of the upper estuarine portion of the region. These bays make up part of the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, one of the many estuarine areas in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program (Holt, 1998...
Authors
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Eleonor Taylor, Cindy A. Thatcher
Mississippi river delta: Chapter G in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010 Mississippi river delta: Chapter G in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
No abstract available.
Authors
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Mirka Zapletal, Cindy A. Thatcher, William Jones, Scott Wilson
Statewide summary for Texas Statewide summary for Texas
The Texas coast (Figure 1) consists of complex and diverse ecosystems with a varying precipitation gradient. The northernmost portion of the coast, extending from Sabine Lake to Galveston Bay, is composed of salt, brackish, intermediate, and fresh marshes, with humid flatwoods inland (Moulton and others, 1997). Coastal prairies are found across the entire coast. From Galveston Bay to...
Authors
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Jim Gibeaut, Cindy A. Thatcher
Mississippi Sound Mississippi Sound
The Mississippi Sound is the primary body of water off the Mississippi Coast, extending from Lake Borgne, La. in the west to Mobile Bay, Ala. in the east and bordered by the barrier islands--Cat, Ship, Horn, Petit Bois, and Dauphin Islands--of Gulf Islands National Seashore to the south (Figure 1). It encompasses an estuary 293 km2 (113 mi2) large with a watershed of 259 km2 (100 mi2)...
Authors
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Ali Leggett, Cindy A. Thatcher
Bank erosion of navigation canals in the western and central Gulf of Mexico Bank erosion of navigation canals in the western and central Gulf of Mexico
Erosion of navigation canal banks is a direct cause of land loss, but there has been little quantitative analysis to determine why certain major canals exhibit faster widening rates (indicative of erosion) than others in the coastal zones of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. We hypothesize that navigation canals exhibit varying rates of erosion based on soil properties of the...
Authors
Cindy A. Thatcher, Stephen B. Hartley, Scott A. Wilson
Tampa Bay Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest open-water estuary and encompasses an area of approximately 1036 km2 (400 mi2) (Burgan and Engle, 2006; TBNEP, 2006). The Bay’s watershed drains 5,698 km2 (2,200 mi2) of land and includes freshwater from the Hillsborough River to the north east, the Alafia and Little Manatee rivers to the east, and the Manatee River to the south (Figure 1). Freshwater...
Authors
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn Spear, Lindsay Cross, René Baumstark, Ryan Moyer, Cindy A. Thatcher
Geographic profiling to assess the risk of rare plant poaching in natural areas Geographic profiling to assess the risk of rare plant poaching in natural areas
We demonstrate the use of an expert-assisted spatial model to examine geographic factors influencing the poaching risk of a rare plant (American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius L.) in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA. Following principles of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), we identified a hierarchy of 11 geographic factors deemed important to poaching risk and requested law...
Authors
J.A. Young, F.T. Van Manen, C.A. Thatcher
A habitat assessment for Florida panther population expansion into central Florida A habitat assessment for Florida panther population expansion into central Florida
One of the goals of the Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) recovery plan is to expand panther range north of the Caloosahatchee River in central Florida. Our objective was to evaluate the potential of that region to support panthers. We used a geographic information system and the Mahalanobis distance statistic to develop a habitat model based on landscape characteristics associated...
Authors
C.A. Thatcher, F.T. Van Manen, J. D. Clark
Identifying suitable sites for Florida panther reintroduction Identifying suitable sites for Florida panther reintroduction
A major objective of the 1995 Florida Panther (Puma concolor cory) Recovery Plan is the establishment of 2 additional panther populations within the historic range. Our goal was to identify prospective sites for Florida panther reintroduction within the historic range based on quantitative landscape assessments. First, we delineated 86 panther home ranges using telemetry data collected...
Authors
Cindy A. Thatcher, Frank T. van Manen, Joseph D. Clark
Habitat models to assist plant protection efforts in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA Habitat models to assist plant protection efforts in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA
During 2002, the National Park Service initiated a demonstration project to develop science-based law enforcement strategies for the protection of at-risk natural resources, including American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.), bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis L.), and black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt. [syn. Actaea racemosa L.]). Harvest pressure on these species is increasing...
Authors
Frank T. van Manen, John A. Young, Cindy A. Thatcher, Wendy B. Cass, Chris Ulrey
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 35
Introduction to emergent wetlands: Chapter A in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010 Introduction to emergent wetlands: Chapter A in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
Throughout the past century, emergent wetlands have been declining across the Gulf of Mexico. Emergent wetland ecosystems provide a plethora of resources including plant and wildlife habitat, commercial and recreational economic activity, water quality improvement, and natural barriers against storms. As emergent wetland losses increase, so does the need for information on the causes and...
Authors
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, René Baumstark, Ryan Moyer, Cindy A. Thatcher
Corpus Christi, Nueces, and Aransas Bays: Chapter C in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010 Corpus Christi, Nueces, and Aransas Bays: Chapter C in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
Corpus Christi Bay and Nueces Bay comprise the middle estuarine portion of Texas’ Coastal Bend region (Figure 1; Burgan and Engle, 2006). Aransas Bay is part of the upper estuarine portion of the region. These bays make up part of the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, one of the many estuarine areas in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program (Holt, 1998...
Authors
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Eleonor Taylor, Cindy A. Thatcher
Mississippi river delta: Chapter G in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010 Mississippi river delta: Chapter G in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
No abstract available.
Authors
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Mirka Zapletal, Cindy A. Thatcher, William Jones, Scott Wilson
Statewide summary for Texas Statewide summary for Texas
The Texas coast (Figure 1) consists of complex and diverse ecosystems with a varying precipitation gradient. The northernmost portion of the coast, extending from Sabine Lake to Galveston Bay, is composed of salt, brackish, intermediate, and fresh marshes, with humid flatwoods inland (Moulton and others, 1997). Coastal prairies are found across the entire coast. From Galveston Bay to...
Authors
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Jim Gibeaut, Cindy A. Thatcher
Mississippi Sound Mississippi Sound
The Mississippi Sound is the primary body of water off the Mississippi Coast, extending from Lake Borgne, La. in the west to Mobile Bay, Ala. in the east and bordered by the barrier islands--Cat, Ship, Horn, Petit Bois, and Dauphin Islands--of Gulf Islands National Seashore to the south (Figure 1). It encompasses an estuary 293 km2 (113 mi2) large with a watershed of 259 km2 (100 mi2)...
Authors
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Ali Leggett, Cindy A. Thatcher
Bank erosion of navigation canals in the western and central Gulf of Mexico Bank erosion of navigation canals in the western and central Gulf of Mexico
Erosion of navigation canal banks is a direct cause of land loss, but there has been little quantitative analysis to determine why certain major canals exhibit faster widening rates (indicative of erosion) than others in the coastal zones of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. We hypothesize that navigation canals exhibit varying rates of erosion based on soil properties of the...
Authors
Cindy A. Thatcher, Stephen B. Hartley, Scott A. Wilson
Tampa Bay Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest open-water estuary and encompasses an area of approximately 1036 km2 (400 mi2) (Burgan and Engle, 2006; TBNEP, 2006). The Bay’s watershed drains 5,698 km2 (2,200 mi2) of land and includes freshwater from the Hillsborough River to the north east, the Alafia and Little Manatee rivers to the east, and the Manatee River to the south (Figure 1). Freshwater...
Authors
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn Spear, Lindsay Cross, René Baumstark, Ryan Moyer, Cindy A. Thatcher
Geographic profiling to assess the risk of rare plant poaching in natural areas Geographic profiling to assess the risk of rare plant poaching in natural areas
We demonstrate the use of an expert-assisted spatial model to examine geographic factors influencing the poaching risk of a rare plant (American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius L.) in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA. Following principles of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), we identified a hierarchy of 11 geographic factors deemed important to poaching risk and requested law...
Authors
J.A. Young, F.T. Van Manen, C.A. Thatcher
A habitat assessment for Florida panther population expansion into central Florida A habitat assessment for Florida panther population expansion into central Florida
One of the goals of the Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) recovery plan is to expand panther range north of the Caloosahatchee River in central Florida. Our objective was to evaluate the potential of that region to support panthers. We used a geographic information system and the Mahalanobis distance statistic to develop a habitat model based on landscape characteristics associated...
Authors
C.A. Thatcher, F.T. Van Manen, J. D. Clark
Identifying suitable sites for Florida panther reintroduction Identifying suitable sites for Florida panther reintroduction
A major objective of the 1995 Florida Panther (Puma concolor cory) Recovery Plan is the establishment of 2 additional panther populations within the historic range. Our goal was to identify prospective sites for Florida panther reintroduction within the historic range based on quantitative landscape assessments. First, we delineated 86 panther home ranges using telemetry data collected...
Authors
Cindy A. Thatcher, Frank T. van Manen, Joseph D. Clark
Habitat models to assist plant protection efforts in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA Habitat models to assist plant protection efforts in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA
During 2002, the National Park Service initiated a demonstration project to develop science-based law enforcement strategies for the protection of at-risk natural resources, including American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.), bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis L.), and black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt. [syn. Actaea racemosa L.]). Harvest pressure on these species is increasing...
Authors
Frank T. van Manen, John A. Young, Cindy A. Thatcher, Wendy B. Cass, Chris Ulrey