Christopher M. Oswalt
Research Forester
Forest Inventory and Analysis
4700 Old Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37922
United States
Knoxville, TN 37922
United States
Phone
865-862-2068
Current Research
My current research includes the monitoring and assessment of forest resources at multiple geographic and taxonomic scales. Specific research topics include the assessment of growth and removals in the Appalachian Ecoregion, understanding the impact of the Southern pine beetle on pine forests of the South, tracking temporal shifts of forest communities in Tennessee and Kentucky and the role of nonnative invasive plants in the alteration of forested systems. In addition, my responsibilities include:
1) Lead Forest Inventory Analyst for Tennessee and Kentucky
2) Southern Lead for Invasive Species
Education
- The University of Tennessee, Ph.D., Natural Resources, Silviculture, 2008
- The University of Tennessee, M.S., Forest Ecology, 2003
- The University of Tennessee, B.S., (Forest Resource Management, Minor: Statistics, 1999
Featured Publications
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Woodall, Christopher W.; Brooks, Horace W.. 2015. Is the footprint of longleaf pine in the Southeastern United States still shrinking
- Oswalt, C.M.; King, C.R.. 2014. Forests of Tennessee, 2012
- Desprez, Johanna; Iannone III, Basil V.; Yang, Peilin; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Fei, Songlin. 2014. Northward migration under a changing climate: a case study of blackgum (Nyssa Sylvatica)
- Hart, Justin L.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Turberville, Craig M.. 2014. Population dynamics of sugar maple through the southern portion of its range: implications for range migration
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Moser, W. Keith. 2012. Potential impacts of year-round sampling on monitoring presence- absence of invasive flora in the southern United States
Other Publications
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Brandeis, Thomas J.; Oswalt, Sonja N.. 2022. Tennessee's forests, 2014 (with updates for 2016)
- Oswalt, Sonja ; Oswalt, Chris ; Crall, Alycia ; Rabaglia, Robert ; Schwartz, Michael K.; Kerns, Becky K.. 2021. Inventory and Monitoring of Invasive Species
- Oswalt, Christopher ; Guldin, James M.. 2021. Status of longleaf pine in the South: an FIA update
- Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2019. The place of oak trees in forests of the United States a brief summary of forest inventory data
- Fei, Songlin ; Jo, Insu ; Guo, Qinfeng ; Wardle, David A.; Fang, Jingyun ; Chen, Anping ; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Brockerhoff, Eckehard G.. 2018. Impacts of climate on the biodiversity-productivity relationship in natural forests
- Oswalt, Christopher; Oswalt, Sonja. 2013. Chapter 8: Invasive Plants on Forest Land in the United States
- Riitters, Kurt ; Potter, Kevin ; Iannone, Basil ; Oswalt, Christopher ; Guo, Qinfeng ; Fei, Songlin. 2018. Exposure of protected and unprotected forest to plant invasions in the eastern United States
- Iannone III, Basil V; Potter, Kevin M.; Guo, Qinfeng ; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Jo, Insu ; Fei, Songlin. 2018. Environmental harshness drives spatial heterogeneity in biotic resistance
- Fei, Songlin ; Morin, Randall S.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Liebhold, Andrew M.. 2019. Biomass losses resulting from insect and disease invasions in US forests
- Insu, Jo; Fei, Songlin; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Domke, Grant M.; Phillips, Richard P.. 2019. Shifts in dominant tree mycorrhizal associations in response to anthropogenic impacts
- Fei, Songlin ; Jo, Insu ; Guo, Qinfeng ; Wardle, David A.; Fang, Jingyun ; Chen, Anping ; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Brockerhoff, Eckehard G.. 2018. Impacts of climate on the biodiversity-productivity relationship in natural forests
- Brandeis, Thomas J.; Hartsell, Andrew J.; Randolph, KaDonna C.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2018. Virginia s forests, 2016
- Brandeis, T.J.; Hartsell, A.J.; Randolph, K.C.; Oswalt, C.M.. 2018. Forests of Virginia, 2016
- Riitters, Kurt; Potter, Kevin; Iannone, Basil V.; Oswalt, Christopher; Fei, Songlin; Guo, Qinfeng. 2017. Landscape correlates of forest plant invasions: A high-resolution analysis across the eastern United States
- Fei, Songlin; Desprez, Johanna M.; Potter, Kevin M.; Jo, Insu; Knott, Jonathan A.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2017. Divergence of species responses to climate change
- Brandeis, Thomas; Zarnoch, Stanley; Oswalt, Christopher; Stringer, Jeffery. 2017. The lack of adequate quality assurance/quality control data hinders the assessment of potential forest degradation in a national forest inventory
- Guo, Qinfeng; Iannone III, Basil V.; Nunez-Mir, Gabriela C.; Potter, Kevin M.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Fei, Songlin. 2017. Species pool, human population, and global versus regional invasion patterns
- Oswalt, Christopher. 2017. Forests of Kentucky, 2013
- Russell, Matthew B.; Woodall, Christopher W.; Potter, Kevin M.; Walters, Brian F.; Domke, Grant M.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2017. Interactions between white-tailed deer density and the composition of forest understories in the northern United States
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Fei, Songlin; Guo, Qinfeng; Iannone III, Basil V.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Pijanowski, Bryan C.; Potter, Kevin M.. 2016. Corrigendum: A subcontinental view of forest plant invasions
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Ridley, Ted R.. 2015. Utilizing online technology to increase the data reach of the forest inventory and analysis program; examples from the Southern United States
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Meade, Jason R.. 2016. Species composition and succession in yellow pine stands following southern pine beetle outbreaks in Tennessee-preliminary results
- Iannone III, Basil V.; Potter, Kevin M.; Hamil, Kelly-Ann Dixon; Huang, Whitney; Zhang, Hao; Guo, Qinfeng; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Woodall, Christopher W.; Fei, Songlin. 2016. Evidence of biotic resistance to invasions in forests of the Eastern USA
- Schweitzer, Callie; Clatterbuck, W.K.; Oswalt, Christopher, eds... 2016. Proceedings of the 18th biennial southern silvicultural research conference
- Fei, Songlin; Iannone III, Basil V.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Guo, Qinfeng; Potter, Kevin M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Pijanowski, Bryan C.; Nunez-Mir, Gabriela C.. 2015. Understanding macroscale invasion patterns and processes with FIA data
- Potter, Kevin M.; Woodall, Christopher W.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Iannone, Basil V. III; Fei, Songlin. 2015. When does biodiversity matter Assessing ecosystem services across broad regions using forest inventory and analysis data
- Oswalt, Christopher. 2016. Forests of Tennessee, 2013
- Iannone, Basil V. III; Potter, Kevin M.; Zhang, Hao; Oswalt, Christopher M. Guo; Woodall, Christopher W.; Fei, Songlin. 2015. Using forest inventory and analysis data to understand biotic resistance to plant invasions across the Eastern United States
- Brandeis, Thomas; Oswalt, Christopher; Stringer, Jeffery; Zarnoch, Stan. 2015. Are observed trends in hardwood tree grade due to resource changes or data anomalies
- Guo, Qinfeng; Fei, Songlin; Dukes, Jeffrey S.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; III, Basil V. Iannone; Potter, Kevin M.. 2015. A unified approach for quantifying invasibility and degree of invasion
- Iannone III, Basil V.; Potter, Kevin M.; Guo, Qinfeng; Liebhold, Andrew M.; Pijanowski, Bryan C.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Fei, Songlin. 2015. Biological invasion hotspots: a trait-based perspective reveals new sub-continental patterns
- Potter, Kevin M.; Koch, Frank H.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Iannone, Basil V.. 2016. Data, data everywhere: detecting spatial patterns in fine-scale ecological information collected across a continent
- Iannone, Basil V.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Liebhold, Andrew M.; Guo, Qinfeng; Potter, Kevin M.; Nunez-Mir, Gabriela C.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Pijanowski, Bryan C.; Fei, Songlin; Bradley, Bethany. 2015. Region-specific patterns and drivers of macroscale forest plant invasions
- Reichert, Benjamin L.; Jean-Philippe, Sharon R.; Oswalt, Christopher; Franklin, Jennifer; Radosevich, Mark. 2015. Woody vegetation and soil characteristics of residential forest patches and open spaces along an urban-to-rural gradient
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Fei, Songlin; Guo, Qinfeng; Iannone III, Basil V.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Pijanowski, Bryan C.; Potter, Kevin M.. 2015. A subcontinental view of forest plant invasions
- Oswalt, C.M.. 2015. Forests of Kentucky, 2012
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Brandeis, Consuelo; Cooper, Jason A.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Randolph, KaDonna C.. 2015. Kentucky s forests, 2009
- Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2014. Invasive plants found in Oklahoma s forests, 2010 - forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2014. Invasive plants found in Georgia s forests, 2010 - forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Bentley, James W.; Brandeis, Consuelo; Cooper, Jason A.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Randolph, KaDonna. 2014. Texas' forests, 2008
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.. 2013. Invasive plants found in Virginia forests, 2010 - forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.. 2014. Invasive plants found in North Carolina s forests, 2010 forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Domke, Grant M.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Woodall, Christopher W.; Turner, Jeffery A.. 2013. Estimation of merchantable bole volume and biomass above sawlog top in the National Forest inventory of the United States
- Randolph, KaDonna; Rose, Anita; Oswalt, Christopher; Brown, Mark. 2013. Status of black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) in the Eastern United States in light of the discovery of thousand cankers disease
- Woodall, Christopher W.; Domke, Grant M.; Riley, Karin L.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Crocker, Susan J.; Yohe, Gary W.. 2013. A framework for assessing global change risks to forest carbon stocks in the United States
- Woodall, Christopher W.; Waddell, Karen L.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Smith, James E.. 2013. Standing dead tree resources in forests of the United States
- Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2013. Tennessee, 2011-forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2013. Kentucky, 2011-forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Zimmerman, Lewis. 2012. Updating the southern nonnative plant watch list: the future of NNIP Monitoring in the south
- Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2012. The national picture of nonnative plants in the United States according to FIA data
- Woodall, C.W.; Zhu, K.; Westfall, J.A.; Oswalt, C.M.; D'Amato, A.W.; Walters, B.F.; Lintz, H.E.. 2013. Assessing the stability of tree ranges and influence of disturbance in eastern US forests
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Cooper, Jason A.; Brockway, Dale G.; Brooks, Horace W.; Walker, Joan L.; Connor, Kristina F.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Conner, Roger C.. 2012. History and current condition of longleaf pine in the Southern United States
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Johnson, Tony G.; Brandeis, Consuelo; Randolph, KaDonna C.; King, Christopher R.. 2012. Tennessee s forests, 2009
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.. 2012. Invasive plants found in South Carolina forests, 2010 forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2012. Invasive plants found in Louisiana s forests, 2009 forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Hartsell, Andrew J.. 2012. Long and short term changes in the forests of the Cumberland Plateau and Mountains using large scale forest inventory data
- Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2012. Kentucky, 2010 forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- McWilliams, William H.; Alerich, Carol L.; Bechtold, William A.; Hansen, Mark; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Thompson, Mike; Turner, Jeff. 2012. Algorithmic decision rules for estimating growth, removals, and mortality within a national-scale forest inventory (USA)
- Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2012. Tennessee, 2010 forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Woodall, Christopher W.. 2012. An Assessment of Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida L.) Decline in the Eastern United States
- Nowak, David J.; Cumming, Anne B.; Twardus, Daniel; Hoehn, Robert E.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Brandeis, Thomas J.. 2012. Urban forests of Tennessee, 2009
- Woodall, Chistopher W.; Domke, Grant M.; MacFarlane, David W.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2012. Comparing field- and model-based standing dead tree carbon stock estimates across forests of the US
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.. 2012. Invasive plants found in Kentucky forests, 2009 forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.. 2012. Invasive plants found in Alabama forests, 2009 forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2011. Invasive plants found in Mississippi forests, 2009 forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2011. Invasive plants found in east Texas forests, 2009 forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Conner, Roger C.. 2011. Southern Forest Inventory and Analysis volume equation user s guide
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Clatterbuck, Wayne K.. 2011. Growing high quality hardwoods: Plantation trials of mixed hardwood species in Tennessee
- Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2011. The extent of selected nonnative invasive plants on southern forest lands
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Clatterbuck, Wayne K.; Larsen, Dave R.. 2011. A technique for predicting clear-wood production in hardwood stems: A model for evaluating hardwood plantation development and management
- Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2011. Invasive plants found in Tennessee forests, 2009 forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; King, Christopher R.; Johnson, Tony G.. 2010. Kentucky, 2007 forest inventory and analysis factsheet
- Tan, Yuan; Fan, Joseph Z.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2010. Impact of ecological and socioeconomic determinants on the spread of tallow tree in southern forest lands
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.. 2010. The facilitation and impacts of Microstegium vimineum colonization in an eastern hardwood forest
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.. 2010. Documentation of significant losses in Cornus florida L. populations throughout the Appalachian ecoregion
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Brandeis, Thomas J.. 2010. Big trees in the southern forest inventory
- Woodall, C.W.; Oswalt, C.M.; Westfall, J.A.; Perry, C.H.; Nelson, M.D.; Finley, A.O.. 2010. Selecting tree species for testing climate change migration hypotheses using forest inventory data
- Woodall, Christopher W.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Westfall, James A.; Perry, Charles H.; Nelson, Mark N.. 2009. Tree migration detection through comparisons of historic and current forest inventories
- Oswalt, Sonja N.; Johnson, Tony G.; Coulston, John W.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2009. Mississippi's forests, 2006
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Johnson, Tony G.; Chamberlain, James L.; Randolph, KaDonna C.; Coulston, John W.. 2009. Tennessee's Forests, 2004
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Turner, Jeffery A.. 2009. Status of hardwood forest resources in the Appalachian region including estimates of growth and removals
- Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher; Turner, Jeffery. 2008. Hurricane Katrina impacts on Mississippi forests
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Clatterbuck, Wayne K.. 2007. Effects of Microstegium vimineum (Trin.) A. Camus on native woody species density and diversity in a productive mixed-hardwood forest in Tennessee
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Clatterbuck, Wayne K.; Houston, Allan E.; Schlarbaum, Scott E.. 2006. Implications of large oak seedlings on problematic deer herbivory
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Clatterbuck, Wayne K.; Scharbaum, Scott E.; Houston, Allan E.. 2004. Growth and Development of Outplanted High-Quality Northern Red Oak Seedlings and the Effects of Competing Herbaceous Productions Within Four Overstory Treatments -- First-Year Results
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.. 2007. Winter litter disturbance facilitates the spread of the nonnative invasive grass Microstegium vimineum (Trin.) A. Camus
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Clatterbuck, Wayne K.; Houston, Allan E.. 2006. Impacts of deer herbivory and visual grading on the early performance of high-quality oak planting stock in Tennessee, USA
- Sanders, Nathan J.; Weltzin, Jake F.; Crutsinger, Gregory M.; Fitzpatrick, Matthew C.; Nunez, Martin A.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Lane, Kristin E.. 2007. Insects mediate the effects of propagule supply and resource availability on a plant invasion
- Oswalt, Christopher M.; Clatterbuck, Wayne K.; Burkhardt, E.C.. 2007. Predicting the cover-up of dead branches using a simple single regressor equation
- Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2008. Relationships between common forest metrics and realized impacts of Hurricane Katrina on forest resources in Mississippi
- Turner, Jeffery A.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Chamberlain, James L.; Conner, Roger C.; Johnson, Tony G.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Randolph, KaDonna C.. 2008. Kentucky's forests, 2004
- Oswalt, Christopher M.. 2008. Tennessee's forest land area was stable 1999-2005 but early successional forest area declined
Research Highlights
Nonnative Invasive Insects and Diseases Decreasing Carbon Stored in U.S. Forests
Year: 2019
Photosynthesis feeds trees and has a significant benefit for people, too, namely the removal of carbon from the atmosphere and into live tree biomass through a process called “sequestration.” But USDA Forest Service scientists and a colleague found that increased tree mortality from the impacts of n...
FIA One-Click: Automated Annual Factsheets for Every State
Year: 2019
The USDA Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) has developed a series of One-Click Factsheets that summarize state-level estimates of forest land for each state. The factsheets are automated, so FIA will be able to swiftly update nationally consistent information for every state. For more than 70 year...
Cooperation Leads to Continued Research on Tree Range Shifts in the Eastern U.S.
Year: 2014
In an attempt to understand the potential impact of climate change on tree species ranges in the eastern U.S., teams of researchers from the Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis program, Purdue University, and the University of Alabama have advanced tree range shift research by using broad...