Christopher Looney
Research Forester
Ecosystem Function and Health Program
1731 Research Park Dr.
Davis, CA 95618-6132
United States
Davis, CA 95618-6132
United States
Phone
530-759-1743
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
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
Research Interest
- 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
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
- 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 <em>Fraxinus nigra</em> along a waterlogging gradient
- Looney, Christopher E.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Palik, Brian J.; Slesak, Robert A.; Slater, Mitchell A.. 2017. The response of <em>Fraxinus nigra</em> 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 <em>Fraxinus nigra</em> 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 <em>Fraxinus nigra</em> 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 <em>Fraxinus nigra</em> 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)
Other Publications
- 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
- 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 (<em>Fraxinus nigra</em>) wetlands threatened by emerald ash borer in Minnesota, USA
- 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 <em>Populus tremuloides</em> ‐conifer communities
- 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
- 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
- Waring, Kristen ; Bradford, John ; Looney, Christopher. 2020. Forests on the edge: forest ecology in rapidly changing conditions
- 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
- 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-Forest Service Publications
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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.