
Christopher Looney
Research Forester
1731 Research Park Dr.
Davis
California
United States
95618-6132
Phone: 530-759-1743
Contact Christopher Looney
Current Research
My research focuses on developing silvicultural strategies to mitigate the effects of drought, wildfire, forest insects and diseases, and other contemporary challenges to forest management. I study historical changes in forest structure and composition to improve management tools and techniques. I use a combination of observational, experimental, and modeling techniques across spatial scales ranging from trees to landscapes. Ongoing and planned research includes:
- The potential of species mixtures to enhance forest productivity and reduce tree mortality risk, focusing on mixed-conifer and pine-oak systems
- Landscape controls on forest productivity and stand development
- Strategies to enhance conifer resistance to forest pathogens and insects
Research Interests
- Ecology and management of mixed-species stands
- Stand dynamics
- Forest health
- Climate-change adaptation
- Silvicultural applications of forest inventory
- Natural and artificial regeneration, including assisted migration
- Understory plant community ecology
Past Research
- Silvicultural strategies to sustain ecosystem function in Minnesota black ash forests threatened by emerald ash borer
- Production ecology of black ash and red pine forests
- Early incidence of white pine blister rust in Southwestern mixed-conifer forests
Education
- University of Minnesota, Ph.D, Natural Resources Science and Management Forest Resources, Silviculture, and Invasive Species 2017
- Northern Arizona University, Master of Science in Forestry Silviculture, Forest Health, and Invasive Species 2012
- Northern Arizona University, Bachelor of Science in Forestry Forest Ecology and Management 2010
Professional Experience
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Colorado State University
2018 - 2020
Professional Organizations
- Society of American Foresters (SAF) (2007 - Current)
Featured Publications & Products
- Looney, Christopher E.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Palik, Brian J.; Fraver, Shawn ; Kastendick, Douglas N. 2018. Size-growth relationship, tree spatial patterns, and tree-tree competition influence tree growth and stand complexity in a 160-year red pine chronosequence.
- Looney, Christopher E.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Fraver, Shawn ; Palik, Brian J.; Frelich, Lee E. 2018. Interspecific competition limits the realized niche of Fraxinus nigra along a waterlogging gradient.
- Looney, Christopher E.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Palik, Brian J.; Slesak, Robert A.; Slater, Mitchell A. 2017. The response of Fraxinus nigra forest ground-layer vegetation to emulated emerald ash borer mortality and management strategies in northern Minnesota, USA.
- Looney, Christopher E.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Palik, Brian J.; Slesak, Robert A. 2017. Canopy treatment influences growth of replacement tree species in Fraxinus nigra forests threatened by the emerald ash borer in Minnesota, USA.
- Looney, Christopher E.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Fraver, Shawn; Palik, Brian J.; Reinikainen, Michael R. 2016. Examining the influences of tree-to-tree competition and climate on size-growth relationships in hydric, multi-aged Fraxinus nigra stands.
- Looney, Christopher E.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Palik, Brian J.; Slesak, Robert A. 2015. Overstory treatment and planting season affect survival of replacement tree species in emerald ash borer threatened Fraxinus nigra forests in Minnesota, USA.
- Looney, Christopher E.; Waring, Kristen M.; Fairweather, Mary Lou. 2019. Chapter 12: Monitoring the Health of Pinus strobiformis:Early Impacts of White Pine Blister Rust Invasion (Project INT-EM-B-10-03).
Publications
- Brandt, Leslie A.; Sertle, Michael ; Hamilton, Heath ; Deaton, Chad ; Mangan, Karen ; Swanston, Christopher W.; Hammes, Mary ; Nagel, Linda M.; Peterson, Courtney L.; Looney, Christopher E.; Windmuller- Campione, Marcella ; Montgomery, Rebecca A. 2020. Adapting bottomland hardwood forests to a changing climate.
- Looney, Christopher E.; Peterson, Courtney L.; Nagel, Linda M.; Guldin, James M.; Swanston, ChristopherW ; Janowiak, Maria K.; Battaglia, Mike A.; Bigelow, Seth W.; Brandt, Leslie A.; D’Amato, Anthony W.; Evans, Kevin ; Jack, Steve B.; Jain, Theresa B.; Jenkins, Melissa M.; Kennedy Sutherland, Elaine ; Hammes, Mary ; Palik, Brian J.; Tuten, Matt C.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2020. Adaptive silviculture for climate change network: learning from land manager-research partnerships.
- Kurth, Valerie J.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Bradford, John B.; Palik, Brian J.; Looney, Christopher E. 2020. Assessing the ecological impacts of biomass harvesting along a disturbance severity gradient.
- Waring, Kristen ; Bradford, John ; Looney, Christopher . 2020. Forests on the edge: forest ecology in rapidly changing conditions.
- Looney, Christopher E.; Previant, Wilfred J.; Nagel, Linda M. 2020. Variations in tree growth provide limited evidence of species mixture effects in Interior West USA mixed conifer forests.
Last updated on : 02/26/2021