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

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

• Palik, Brian J.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Slesak, Robert A.; Kastendick, Doug ; Looney, Chris ; Kragthorpe, Josh . 2021. Eighth-year survival and growth of planted replacement tree species in black ash (Fraxinus nigra) wetlands threatened by emerald ash borer in Minnesota, USA.
• Looney, Christopher E.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Jovan, Sarah . 2021. Investigating linkages between the size-growth relationship and drought, nitrogen deposition, and structural complexity in western U.S. Forests.
• Looney, Christopher E.; Previant, Wilfred J.; Bradford, John B.; Nagel, Linda M. 2021. Species mixture effects and climate influence growth, recruitment and mortality in Interior West USA Populus tremuloides conifer communities.
• Looney, Christopher E.; Previant, Wilfred J.; Nagel, Linda M. 2021. Variations in tree growth provide limited evidence of species mixture effects in Interior West USA mixed conifer forests.
• 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.
• Bigelow, Seth ; Looney, Christopher ; Cannon, Jeffery B. 2020. Hurricane effects on climate-adaptive silviculture treatments to longleaf pine woodland in southwestern Georgia, USA.

Citations of non US Forest Service Publications

• Looney, C.E.; Sullivan, B.W.; Kolb, T.E. et al. 2012. Pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) mortality and response to water addition across a three million year substrate age gradient in northern Arizona, USA. Plant Soil. 357: 89-102.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1150-6.

• Looney, Christopher E.; Waring, Kristen M. 2012. Patterns of forest structure, competition and regeneration in southwestern white pine (Pinus strobiformis) forests. Forest Ecology and Management. 286: 159-170.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2012.09.008
• Looney, Christopher E.; Waring, Kristen M. 2013. Pinus strobiformis (southwestern white pine) stand dynamics, regeneration, and disturbance ecology: A review. Forest Ecology and Management. 287: 90-102.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2012.09.020