Dr. Kathryn Thomas is a research ecologist with the Southwest Biological Science Center, currently stationed in Tucson, Arizona.
Kathryn Thomas has worked the Southwestern deserts since 1989 and for the USGS since 1995. Her areas of expertise are in biodiversity studies during the Anthropocene, including studies of vegetation ecology, plant-insect interactions (pollinators), and invasive species (Russian thistle, introduced tree-feeding insects) on species, community, and landscape scales.
Professional Experience
Research Ecologist, 1995-2010, 2012-present: Southwest Biological Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Tucson & Flagstaff, Arizona
Adjunct professor, 2014-present: University of Arizona School of Natural Resources and the Environment
Information Management Liaison, 2010 - 2012: Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Program, Portland, Oregon
Plant Phenology Program Coordinator, 2007-2010: USA National Phenology Network, Tucson, Arizona
Adjunct professor, 1997-2005: Northern Arizona University, Geography Department
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Geography: University of California at Santa Barbara, CA. "Vegetation and floristic diversity in the Mojave Desert of California: A regional conservation evaluation"
M.S., Environmental Horticulture: University of California at Davis, CA. "Vegetative propagation and Actinorhizal nodulation of Ceanothus spp."
B.S., Biology: University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Graduate Certificate in Medical Entomology, University of Florida
The Lepidoptera Course, American Museum of Natural History, Portal, Arizona
The Bee Course, American Museum of Natural History, Portal, Arizona
Certificate of Emergency Management Planning, University of Washington
Science and Products
Random forest classification of multitemporal Landsat 8 spectral data and P\phenology metrics for land cover mapping in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts
Decoupling of species and plant communities of the U.S. Southwest: A CCSM4 climate scenario example
Phylogenetic risk assessment is robust for forecasting the impact of European insects on North American conifers
Rocky Mountain Region Science Exchange 2020—EarthMAP and the Colorado River Basin
Capacity assessment for Earth Monitoring, Analysis, and Prediction (EarthMAP) and future integrated monitoring and predictive science at the U.S. Geological Survey
Predicting non-native insect impact: Focusing on the trees to see the forest
A not so sudden impact—Historical relations between conifers and insects can help predict damage by nonnative insects
The impact is in the details: Evaluating a standardized protocol and scale for determining non-native insect impact
Evolutionary history predicts high-impact invasions by herbivorous insects
Establishment of Salsola tragus on aeolian sands: A Southern Colorado Plateau case study
Arizona hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus var. arizonicus)—A systematic data assessment in support of recovery
Landscape-scale wildlife species richness metrics to inform wind and solar energy facility siting: An Arizona case study
'Eastern' Joshua trees and their sole pollinators, 'eastern' Yucca moths
Managing for Grassland Health at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge
Informing Renewable Energy Development Siting Decisions with Vertebrate Biodiversity Measures
Predicting the Next High-Impact Insect Invasion
Endangered Cacti in Arizona
Predicting the next high-impact insect invasion: Elucidating traits and factors determining the risk of introduced herbivorous insects on North American native plants
Climatic suitability models and assessments for plant species and communities of the Southwestern US
USGS Earthmap Capacity Assessment Dataset
Traits and Factors Catalog (TRAFAC): Hardwood specialists of North America
A snapshot of stakeholder science needs related to drought in the Colorado River Basin
Traits and Factors Catalog (TRAFAC): Conifer specialists of North America
Russian-thistle field and seed bank data at Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, 2015-2016
Central Mojave Desert Vegetation Mapping Project, California, 1997-1999: Plots Points and Photographs
Landscape-scale wildlife species richness metrics
Southwest Exotic Mapping Program (SWEMP) Database, 2007
Tsezhin Bii Field and Summary 2004Data
Colorado River Basin Projects
The Colorado River Basin Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology Team has created an interactive map of USGS projects to highlight the integrated science currently conducted within the Colorado River Basin. These projects are not all inclusive of the work conducted by the USGS within the CRB, but highlight the broad range of integrated science currently conducted.
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 30
Random forest classification of multitemporal Landsat 8 spectral data and P\phenology metrics for land cover mapping in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts
Geospatial data and tools evolve as new technologies are developed and landscape change occurs over time. As a result, these data may become outdated and inadequate for supporting critical habitat-related work across the international boundary in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts Bird Conservation Region (BCR 33) due to the area’s complex vegetation communities and the discontinuity in data availabilAuthorsMadeline Melichar, Kamel Didan, Armando Barreto-Muñoz, Jennifer N. Duberstein, Eduardo Jiménez Hernández, Theresa Crimmins, Haiquan Li, Myles B. Traphagen, Kathryn A. Thomas, Pamela L. NaglerDecoupling of species and plant communities of the U.S. Southwest: A CCSM4 climate scenario example
Climate change is predicted to alter the current climate suitability under which plant species and communities occur. Predictions of change have focused on individual species or entire communities, but theory indicates plants will not respond uniformly to climate change within or between communities. We developed models of the current climate suitability (the baseline) of 66 plant species characteAuthorsKathryn A. Thomas, Brett A. Stauffer, Christopher J. JarchowPhylogenetic risk assessment is robust for forecasting the impact of European insects on North American conifers
Some introduced species cause severe damage, although the majority have little impact. Robust predictions of which species are most likely to cause substantial impacts could focus efforts to mitigate those impacts or prevent certain invasions entirely. Introduced herbivorous insects can reduce crop yield, fundamentally alter natural and managed forest ecosystems, and are unique among invasive specAuthorsDaniel R. Uden, Angela M. Mech, Nathan P. Havill, Ashley N. Schulz, Matthew P Ayers, Daniel A. Herms, Angela Marie Hoover, Kamal JK Gandhi, Ruth A. Hufbauer, Andrew M. Liebhold, Travis D Marisco, Kenneth F. Raffa, Kathryn A. Thomas, Patrick C. Tobin, Craig R. AllenRocky Mountain Region Science Exchange 2020—EarthMAP and the Colorado River Basin
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Rocky Mountain Region (RMR) hosted USGS scientists, managers, program coordinators, and leadership team members for a virtual Science Exchange during September 15–17, 2020. The Science Exchange had 216 registered participants and included 48 talks over the 3-day period. Invited speakers presented information about the novel USGS Earth Monitoring, Analysis, and PreAuthorsAnne C. Tillery, Patrick J. Anderson, William J. Andrews, Katharine Dahm, Seth S. Haines, Robert Horton, David O'Leary, Ryan D. Taylor, Kathryn A. Thomas, Alicia TorregrosaByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, New Mexico Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Utah Water Science Center, Western Geographic Science Center, Colorado River Basin: Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and TechnologyCapacity assessment for Earth Monitoring, Analysis, and Prediction (EarthMAP) and future integrated monitoring and predictive science at the U.S. Geological Survey
Executive SummaryManagers of our Nation’s resources face unprecedented challenges driven by the convergence of increasing, competing societal demands and a changing climate that affects the stability, vulnerability, and predictability of those resources. To help meet these challenges, the scientific community must take advantage of all available technologies, data, and integrative Earth systems moAuthorsJennifer L. Keisman, Sky Bristol, David S. Brown, Allison K. Flickinger, Gregory Gunther, Peter S. Murdoch, MaryLynn Musgrove, John C. Nelson, Gregory D. Steyer, Kathryn A. Thomas, Ian R. WaiteByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS) Program, Science Synthesis, Analysis and Research Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research CenterPredicting non-native insect impact: Focusing on the trees to see the forest
Non-native organisms have invaded novel ecosystems for centuries, yet we have only a limited understanding of why their impacts vary widely from minor to severe. Predicting the impact of non-established or newly detected species could help focus biosecurity measures on species with the highest potential to cause widespread damage. However, predictive models require an understanding of potential drAuthorsAshley N. Schulz, Angela M. Mech, Matthew P. Ayres, Kamal J.K. Gandhi, Nathan P. Havill, Daniel A. Herms, Angela Marie Hoover, Ruth A. Hufbauer, Andrew M. Liebhold, Travis D. Marsico, Kenneth F. Raffa, Patrick C. Tobin, Daniel R. Uden, Kathryn A. ThomasA not so sudden impact—Historical relations between conifers and insects can help predict damage by nonnative insects
The arrival and establishment of nonnative insects in North America is increasingly problematic. International trade has created opportunities to move wood products and nursery stock worldwide, which has increased the risk of insect introduction to regions or countries where they are not native. One group of researchers, the High-impact Insect Invasions Working Group (HIIWG), has developed a prediAuthorsLekeah A. Durden, Ashley N. Schulz, Angela M. Mech, Kathryn A. ThomasThe impact is in the details: Evaluating a standardized protocol and scale for determining non-native insect impact
Assessing the ecological and economic impacts of non-native species is crucial to providing managers and policymakers with the information necessary to respond effectively. Most non-native species have minimal impacts on the environment in which they are introduced, but a small fraction are highly deleterious. The definition of ‘damaging’ or ‘high-impact’ varies based on the factors determined toAuthorsAshley N. Schulz, Angela M. Mech, Craig Allen, Matthew P. Ayres, Kamal J.K. Gandhi, Jessica Gurevitch, Nathan P. Havill, Daniel A. Herms, Ruth A. Hufbauer, Andrew M. Liebhold, Kenneth F. Raffa, Michael J. Raupp, Kathryn A. Thomas, Patrick C. Tobin, Travis D. MarsicoEvolutionary history predicts high-impact invasions by herbivorous insects
A long‐standing goal of invasion biology is to identify factors driving highly variable impacts of non‐native species. Although hypotheses exist that emphasize the role of evolutionary history (e.g., enemy release hypothesis & defense‐free space hypothesis), predicting the impact of non‐native herbivorous insects has eluded scientists for over a century. Using a census of all 58 non‐native coniferAuthorsAngela M. Mech, Kathryn A. Thomas, Travis D. Marsico, Daniel A. Herms, Craig Allen, Matthew P. Ayres, Kamal J.K. Gandhi, Jessica Gurevitch, Nathan P. Havill, Ruth A. Hufbauer, Andrew M. Liebhold, Kenneth F. Raffa, Ashley N. Schulz, Daniel R. Uden, Patrick C. TobinEstablishment of Salsola tragus on aeolian sands: A Southern Colorado Plateau case study
Russian-thistle (Salsola tragus L.), is a nonnative, C4 photosynthesizing, annual plant that infests disturbed and natural areas in the arid U.S. Southwest. Land managers of natural areas may need to decide whether a S. tragus infestation is potentially harmful and whether it should be actively managed. One factor informing that decision is an understanding of the conditions under which this weedAuthorsKathryn A. Thomas, Margaret HizaArizona hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus var. arizonicus)—A systematic data assessment in support of recovery
The Arizona hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus var. arizonicus) is endemic to central Arizona in Gila and Pinal Counties, and has been federally listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) since 1979. Mining, mineral exploration, and highway development have resulted in habitat degradation and loss of individual plants. Therefore, decreases in the population of theAuthorsKathryn A. Thomas, Daniel F. Shryock, Todd C. EsqueLandscape-scale wildlife species richness metrics to inform wind and solar energy facility siting: An Arizona case study
The juxtaposition of wildlife and wind or solar energy facility infrastructure can present problems for developers, planners, policy makers, and management agencies. Guidance on siting of these renewable energy facilities may help identify potential wildlife-facility conflicts with species of regulatory or economic concern. However, existing spatial guidance usually does not consider all wildlifeAuthorsKathryn A. Thomas, Christopher Jarchow, Terence R. Arundel, Pankaj Jamwal, Amanda Borens, Charles A. Drost - Science
'Eastern' Joshua trees and their sole pollinators, 'eastern' Yucca moths
Did you know that moths can be pollinators? Even more amazing is that Joshua trees, the scraggly icons of the Mojave Desert, require a single moth species to ensure fertile seed production. The association between the Joshua tree and its pollinating moth is a rare example of an obligate mutualism, which means that the species are entirely dependent upon each other. Joshua trees depend on the moth...Managing for Grassland Health at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge
Southern Arizona’s semi-desert grasslands provides habitat for flora and fauna, regulates rainfall infiltration and overland flow, mitigates surface erosion and dust production, and sequesters carbon. Sustainable management is important to maintain these ecological services and is of concern for the managers, ranchers, and other people associated with the grassland. The Buenos Aires National...Informing Renewable Energy Development Siting Decisions with Vertebrate Biodiversity Measures
Renewable energy development is expanding in southwestern deserts, including in Arizona. Energy developers look to resource management agencies to provide siting guidance on public lands where there might be conflicts with wildlife. Often, agency guidance considers species of conservation concern and economic importance, but information on comprehensive vertebrate biodiversity has been hard to...Predicting the Next High-Impact Insect Invasion
Although most introduced insects are relatively benign, some become high-impact pests causing widespread ecological and economic damage. Introduced insects that are specialists and feed on a single genus of plants can be high-impact as they can potentially eliminate an entire native plant genus over large areas. Luckily, most introduced insects with this feeding behavior do not become high-impact...Endangered Cacti in Arizona
Arizona is the home to at least 10 cacti that are listed as endangered, threatened, or under conservation agreement. Land use and management activities that occur on federal, and to some extent state, lands on which the cacti occur require consultation among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the agency managing the land on which the cacti is growing, and the party proposing an activity...Predicting the next high-impact insect invasion: Elucidating traits and factors determining the risk of introduced herbivorous insects on North American native plants
Non-native insect invasions increasingly cause widespread ecological and economic damage in natural and agricultural ecosystems. Non-native insects specialized for feeding on specific plant groups are particularly problematic as they can potentially eliminate an entire genus of native plant species across a wide area. For example, emerald ash borer has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in N - Data
Climatic suitability models and assessments for plant species and communities of the Southwestern US
These data were compiled to assess potential changes in the climatic suitability for 66 species (dominant and associate plant species) and forecast climate exposure for 29 major plant communities within major plant communities in the southwestern United States. An objective of our study was that species within plant communities have unique climate suitability signatures and forecast changes in cliUSGS Earthmap Capacity Assessment Dataset
The U.S. Geological Survey provides a wide range of scientific information to an even wider group of stakeholders. Understanding what capacities are needed and if and or where these capacities exist across the USGS landscape is critical in moving science to the next level of use, implementation, and visualization. The concept behind the groups organized to conduct and interpret the survey that colTraits and Factors Catalog (TRAFAC): Hardwood specialists of North America
These data were compiled in support of the 'Predicting the next high-impact insect invasion: Elucidating traits and factors determining the risk of introduced herbivorous insects on North American native plants' project, supported by the U.S. Geological Survey John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis. The project working group compiled data for non-native insects herbivorous on one NorA snapshot of stakeholder science needs related to drought in the Colorado River Basin
Stakeholder science needs were determined by reviewing more than 200 recently published literature items and web pages from Colorado River Basin (CRB) stakeholders. These stakeholder communications were used to characterize over 400 stakeholder science needs by reviewing their priorities, strategies, issues, missions, and concerns related to drought in the CRB. Members of the CRB Integrated SciencByArizona Water Science Center, California Water Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Nevada Water Science Center, New Mexico Water Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Utah Water Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, Colorado River Basin: Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and TechnologyTraits and Factors Catalog (TRAFAC): Conifer specialists of North America
These data were compiled in support of the 'Predicting the next high-impact insect invasion: Elucidating traits and factors determining the risk of introduced herbivorous insects on North American native plants' project, supported by the U.S. Geological Survey John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis. The project working group compiled data for non-native insects herbivorous on three oRussian-thistle field and seed bank data at Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, 2015-2016
These data were compiled as part of a field and growth chamber study of the establishment of Salsola tragus (Russian thistle), an invasive non-native annual plant in North America. Field work was conducted at Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona in 2015 and 2016 and the growth chamber study was conducted in 2016. The data represent field measurements of Salsola germination and growth (cover) anCentral Mojave Desert Vegetation Mapping Project, California, 1997-1999: Plots Points and Photographs
The Mojave Plots Points data are 1,219 plot locations in the Central Mojave Desert where field data were recorded and photographs were taken from 1997-1999 to provide context for the classification of the Central Mojave Desert into various vegetation classes. The 1,219 plot locations in the plots points shapefile (plots_points.shp) are each assigned a unique identifier called the FinalPlotCode. TLandscape-scale wildlife species richness metrics
These raster data represent the results of a case study in Arizona on how vertebrate richness metrics can be used with existing state and federal guidance in wind and solar energy facility siting. Each of the four geodatabases (see Cross References) contain eight native terrestrial wildlife group models in Arizona: 1) all vertebrates, 2) amphibians, 3) reptiles, 4) birds, 5) mammals, 6) bats, 7) rSouthwest Exotic Mapping Program (SWEMP) Database, 2007
The Southwest Exotic Plant Mapping Program (SWEMP) is a collaborative effort between the United States Geological Survey and federal, tribal, state, county and non-governmental organization (NGO) partners in the southwest. This project is an ongoing effort to compile and distribute regional data on the occurrence of non-native invasive plants in the southwestern United States. The database represeTsezhin Bii Field and Summary 2004Data
These data provide the locational coordinates, soil texture characteristics, plant species occurrence and cover, and vegetation summary characteristics for the Tsezhin bii region in the south-central area of the Navajo Nation in Arizona. They were collected in the fall of 2004 and their subsequent analysis reported in the paper titled 'Vegetation of semi-stable rangeland dunes of the Navajo Nation - Web Tools
Colorado River Basin Projects
The Colorado River Basin Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology Team has created an interactive map of USGS projects to highlight the integrated science currently conducted within the Colorado River Basin. These projects are not all inclusive of the work conducted by the USGS within the CRB, but highlight the broad range of integrated science currently conducted.
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