terrestrial ecosystems, global environmental change, and climate change
Dr. Williams is a professor of earth system science within Clark’s School of Geography and is director of the environmental sciences program at Clark. His expertise is in terrestrial ecosystems, global environmental change, and climate change. He and his team engage in foundational research science on the climate impacts of forests. By combining state-of-the-art satellite remote sensing with big data geo-computation, the lab is quantifying the carbon emissions avoided by protecting forests, the removals of carbon with forest growth, and also the important climate impacts of changing surface reflectivity (albedo) that happens with changes in tree cover. Their work is informing decision makers about where we get the greatest climate benefit from retaining and expanding tree cover, worldwide. The team is delivering action-ready datasets to land managers and policymakers working around the world, including The Nature Conservancy, the Open Space Institute, The Trust for Public Lands, and states participating in the U.S. Climate Alliance. At Clark, in addition to teaching and mentoring students at all levels, he has served as vice chair of the faculty, chair of the graduate board, co-chair of the provost search, among other roles. Externally, he has served as co-chair of the science leadership group of the North American Carbon Program, science co-investigator of the Harvard Forest National Science Foundation Long Term Ecological Research program, and science team member of NASA’s Carbon Monitoring System.
Degrees
Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences, Duke University, 2004
M.S. in Watershed Science, Colorado State University, 2000
B.A. in Biology and Environmental Studies, Bucknell University, 1996
Natural Areas Association Webinar on Nature's Front Line: The Role of Natural Areas in Climate Resilience in Central Appalachian Forests
●
Virtual
2022-10-28
●
2022
Sponsored by Natural Areas Association
Christopher Williams
Presentations
Biophysics and Natural Climate Solutions: Sorting Mitigation and Adaptation at Local and Global Scales
NCS Workshop of AMERIFLUX / Indiana University
●
Washington, D.C.
2022-06-28
●
2022
Christopher Williams
Other Scholarly or Creative Work
The science needed for robust, scalable, and credible nature-based climate solutions in the United States: Full Report
●
2022
[Bloomington, Ind.]: Indiana University
Kim Novick
,
Christopher Williams
,
Benjamin Runkle
,
William Anderegg
,
Dave Hollinger
,
Marcy Litvak
,
Caroline Normile
,
Gyami Shrestha
,
Maya Almaraz
,
Christa Anderson
,
others
Article in Refereed Journal
A process-model perspective on recent changes in the carbon cycle of North America
Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
●
2022
Guillermo Murray-Tortarolo
,
Benjamin Poulter
,
Rodrigo Vargas
,
Daniel Hayes
,
Anna Michalak
,
Christopher Williams
,
Lisamarie Windham-Myers
,
Jonathan Wang
,
Kimberly Wickland
,
David Butman
,
others
Article in Refereed Journal
Albedo changes caused by future urbanization contribute to global warming
Nature Communications
●
2022
●
Vol. 13
●
Issue #1
Zutao Ouyang
,
Pietro Sciusco
,
Tong Jiao
,
Sarah Feron
,
Cheyenne Lei
,
Fei Li
,
Ranjeet John
,
Peilei Fan
,
Xia Li
,
Christopher Williams
,
others
Article in Refereed Journal
A modified Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Model (VPRM) for the eastern USA and Canada, evaluated with comparison to atmospheric observations and other biospheric models
Southern Environmental Law Center; https://southernenvironment.sharefile.com/share/view/s322e5dc731984235ab391a16115a7d21
Christopher Williams
Presentations
Forests as Climate Solution: Writing the Playbook from Pathways to Pixels to Policy
University of Connecticut Geography Colloquium
●
Storrs, CT
March
●
2022
Sponsored by University of Connecticut Geography
Christopher Williams
Presentations
Plots to Pixels to Policy with a Wall-to-Wall Forest Carbon Monitoring and Assessment System
NASA Carbon Monitoring System Biomass Working Group
●
January
●
2022
Sponsored by NASA Carbon Monitoring System
Christopher Williams
Article in Refereed Journal
Wildfire controls on land surface properties in mixed conifer and ponderosa pine forests of Sierra Nevada and Klamath mountains, Western US
Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
●
2022
●
Vol. 320
Surendra Shrestha
,
Christopher Williams
,
Brendan Rogers
,
John Rogan
,
Dominik Kulakowski
Article in Refereed Journal
Climate impacts of US forest loss span net warming to net cooling
Science Advances
●
2021
●
Vol. 7
●
Issue #7
Christopher Williams
,
Huan Gu
,
Tong Jiao
Article in Refereed Journal
Atmospheric Carbon and Transport--America (ACT-America) Data Sets: Description, Management, and Delivery
Earth and Space Science
●
2021
●
Vol. 8
●
Issue #7
Yaxing Wei
,
Rupesh Shrestha
,
Sandip Pal
,
Tobias Gerken
,
Sha Feng
,
John McNelis
,
Debjani Singh
,
Michele Thornton
,
Alison Boyer
,
Michael Shook
,
others
Article in Refereed Journal
The atmospheric carbon and transport (ACT)-America mission
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
●
2021
●
Vol. 102
●
Issue #9
Kenneth Davis
,
Edward Browell
,
Sha Feng
,
Thomas Lauvaux
,
Michael Obland
,
Sandip Pal
,
Bianca Baier
,
David Baker
,
Ian Baker
,
Zachary Barkley
,
others
Article in Refereed Journal
Beyond biomass to carbon fluxes: application and evaluation of a comprehensive Forest Carbon Monitoring System
Environmental Research Letters
●
2021
Y Zhou
,
Christopher Williams
,
Natalia Hasler
,
Huan Gu
,
Robert Kennedy
Presentations
Avoided Deforestation: A Climate Mitigation Opportunity in New England and New York
Media Briefing Webinar
●
Online
September
●
2021
Sponsored by The Nature Conservancy and U.S. Climate Alliance
Christopher Williams
Presentations
Bringing Forest Carbon into Focus: Improved Estimates of the Carbon Benefits from Avoided Forest Conversion in New England and New York
United States Climate Alliance: Natural and Working Lands Webinar
●
Online
October
●
2021
Sponsored by United States Climate Alliance
Christopher Williams
Presentations
Introducing the NACP Science Implementation Plan
NACP Open Science Meeting
●
Online
March
●
2021
Sponsored by North American Carbon Program
Christopher Williams
Presentations
Pathways to a Low Carbon Future
North American Carbon Program Open Science Meeting
●
Online
March
●
2021
Sponsored by NACP
Christopher Williams
Other Scholarly or Creative Work
Avoided Deforestation: A Climate Mitigation Opportunity in New England and New York
●
2021
Christopher Williams
,
Natalia Hasler
,
L Xi
Article in Refereed Journal
Patterns of post-drought recovery are strongly influenced by drought duration, frequency, post-drought wetness, and bioclimatic setting.
Global Change Biology
●
2021
Tong Jiao
,
Christopher Williams
,
Kauwe, De
,
Christopher Schwalm
,
Belinda Medlyn
Article in Refereed Journal
Joint CO2 Mole Fraction and Flux Analysis Confirms Missing Processes in CASA Terrestrial Carbon Uptake over North America
Global Biogeochemical Cycles
●
2021
Sha Feng
,
Thomas Lauvaux
,
Christopher Williams
,
Kenneth Davis
,
Y Zhou
,
Ian Baker
,
Zachary Barkley
,
Daniel Wesloh
Article in Refereed Journal
Natural climate solutions for Canada
Science Advances
●
2021
●
Vol. 7
●
Issue #23
C Drever
,
Susan Cook-Patton
,
Fardausi Akhter
,
Pascal Badiou
,
Gail Chmura
,
Scott Davidson
,
Raymond Desjardins
,
Andrew Dyk
,
Joseph Fargione
,
Max Fellows
,
others
Article in Refereed Journal
Forest Carbon Stocks and Fluxes from the NFCMS, Conterminous USA, 1990-2010
ORNL DAAC, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1829
●
2021
Christopher Williams
,
Natalia Hasler
,
Huan Gu
,
Y Zhou
Presentations
Climate Impacts of US Forest Loss Spans Net Warming to Net Cooling
NASA CMS Science Team Meeting
●
April
●
2021
Christopher Williams
Article in Refereed Journal
Ensemble model output of North American atmospheric CO2 simulations for summer 2016, including transport, CASA and CT2017, and boundary condition ensembles
Data Commons, https://doi.org/10.26208/z864-qk73
●
2020
S. Feng
,
T. Lauvaux
,
C. Williams
,
K. Davis
,
Y. Zhou
,
I. Baker
,
Z. Barkley
,
D. Wesloh
Presentations
Plots to Pixels to Policy: Intrepid Journey of a Wall-to-Wall Forest Carbon Monitoring and Assessment System
Forest Carbon Opportunities for Climate Protection
Maine and New Hampshire USCA Collaborators
●
Virtual
March
●
2020
Christopher Williams
Presentations
Albedo Offsets to Carbon Mitigation Activities in the Forest Sector for Canada
Canada Natural Climate Solutions Study
●
Virtual
April
●
2020
Christopher Williams
Presentations
Forest Carbon Opportunities for Climate Protection
Governor's Office of Connecticut, Climate Action Council
●
May
●
2020
Christopher Williams
Presentations
Forest Carbon Opportunities for Climate Protection
Trust for Public Lands & Open Space Institute
●
Virtual
April
●
2020
Christopher Williams
Presentations
Forest Carbon Opportunities for Climate Protection
Harvard Forest Workshop on Forest Carbon, Climate, and New England Landscape Futures
●
Virtual
April
●
2020
Christopher Williams
Presentations
CASA Model Ensemble of Surface Biogenic Fluxes: Analysis and Uncertainty Attribution
NASA ACT-America Science PI Meeting
●
Virtual
April
●
2020
Christopher Williams
Article in Refereed Journal
A Multiyear Gridded Data Ensemble of Surface Biogenic Carbon Fluxes for North America: Evaluation and Analysis of Results
Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
●
2020
●
Vol. 125
●
Issue #2
Y Zhou
,
Christopher Williams
,
Thomas Lauvaux
,
Kenneth Davis
,
Sha Feng
,
Ian Baker
,
Scott Denning
,
Yaxing Wei
Article in Refereed Journal
Drought impacts on Australian vegetation during the Millennium Drought measured with multi-source spaceborne remote sensing
Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences
●
2020
●
Issue #DOI:10.1029/2019JG005145
Tong Jiao
,
Christopher Williams
,
J Rogan
,
Kauwe, De
,
B. Medlyn
Presentations
Albedo Offsets to Carbon Mitigation Activities in the Forest Sector for Canada
Canada Natural Climate Solutions Group
●
October
●
2019
Christopher Williams
Presentations
Forests as a Natural Climate Solution in State-level Policy and Management
US Climate Alliance Natural and Working Lands NorthEast Working Group
●
Providence, RI
November
●
2019
Christopher Williams
Presentations
High Resolution Surface Biogenic CO2 Flux Priors: CASA Ensemble for North America
NOAA / NIST Urban Flux Inversion Working Group
●
Virtual
June
●
2019
Christopher Williams
Presentations
U.S. National Forest Carbon Monitoring System
USFS - NASA Joint Applications Workshop: Satellite Data to Support Natural Resource Management
●
Salt Lake City, UT
June
●
2019
Christopher Williams
Presentations
Forest Carbon Monitoring System for U.S. National Reporting and Assessment
NASA Carbon Monitoring System Science PI Meeting
●
La Jolla, CA
November
●
2019
Christopher Williams
Presentations
Carbon, Climate, and US Forests: Synthesis of Harvesting, Wood Products, Deforestation, Reforestation, and Natural Disturbance Impacts
American Geophysical Union 2019 Fall Meeting
●
San Francisco
December
●
2019
Christopher Williams
Article in Refereed Journal
Seasonal characteristics of model uncertainties from biogenic fluxes, transport, and large-scale boundary inflow in atmospheric CO2 simulations over North America
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
●
2019
●
Vol. 124
●
Issue #DOI: 10.1029/2019JD031165
Sha Feng
,
Thomas Lauvaux
,
Kenneth Davis
,
Klaus Keller
,
Peter Rayner
,
Tomohiro Oda
,
Kevin Gurney
,
Y Zhou
,
Christopher Williams
,
Andrew Schuh
,
others
Article in Refereed Journal
Forest Carbon Stocks and Fluxes After Disturbance, Southeastern USA 1990-2010
ORNL DAAC, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1728
●
2019
Huan Gu
,
Christopher Williams
,
Natalia Hasler
,
Y Zhou
Article in Refereed Journal
The Carbon Balance of the Southeastern U.S. Forest Sector as Driven by Recent Disturbance Trends
Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences
●
2019
●
Vol. 124
Huan Gu
,
Christopher Williams
,
Natalia Hasler
,
Y Zhou
Article in Refereed Journal
Modeling the Potential Dispersal of Asian Longhorned Beetle Using Circuit Theory
The Professional Geographer
●
2019
●
Vol. 71
●
Issue #4
Arthur Elmes
,
John Rogan
,
Christopher Williams
,
Samuel Ratick
,
David Nowak
Article in Refereed Journal
ACT-America: Gridded Ensembles of Surface Biogenic Carbon Fluxes for North America and the Conterminous United States, 2003-2017
ORNL DAAC, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1675; https://actamerica.ornl.gov/model_prior_casa_ensemble.shtml
●
2019
Y Zhou
,
Christopher Williams
,
Thomas Lauvaux
,
Sha Feng
,
Ian Baker
,
Yaxing Wei
,
Scott Denning
,
Klaus Keller
,
Kenneth Davis
Article in Refereed Journal
Assessing regional drought impacts on vegetation and evapotranspiration: a case study in Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Ecological Applications
●
2018
Savannah Cooley
,
Christopher Williams
,
Joshua Fisher
,
Gregory Halverson
,
Johan Perret
,
Christine Lee
Article in Refereed Journal
Spatiotemporal transition of institutional and socioeconomic impacts on vegetation productivity in Central Asia over last three decades
Science of the Total Environment
●
2018
●
Vol. 658
Y Zhou
,
L Zhang
,
Jingfeng Xiao
,
Christopher Williams
,
Irina Vitkovskaya
,
Anming Bao
Chapters In Books
Chapter: Chapter 9: Forests, In: Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2): A Sustained Assessment Report.
Published by [Cavallaro, N., G. Shrestha, R. Birdsey, M. A. Mayes, R. G. Najjar, S. C~…
●
2018
G Domke
,
C Williams
,
contributing authors
Article in Refereed Journal
Local variability in the timing and intensity of tropical dry forest deciduousness is explained by differences in forest stand age
GIScience & Remote Sensing
●
2018
●
Vol. 55
●
Issue #3
Nicholas Cuba
,
Deborah Lawrence
,
John Rogan
,
Christopher Williams
Article in Refereed Journal
Natural climate solutions for the United States
Science Advances
●
2018
●
Vol. 4
●
Issue #11
Joseph Fargione
,
S Bassett
,
Boucher T
,
Bridgham SD
,
R Conant
,
Cook-Patton SC
,
P Ellis
,
A Falcucci
,
J Fourqurean
,
T Gopalakrishna
,
others
Article in Refereed Journal
The Terrestrial Carbon Sink
Annual Review of Environment and Resources
●
2018
●
Vol. 43
T Keenan
,
C Williams
Article in Refereed Journal
Predictors of mortality for juvenile trees in a residential urban-to-rural cohort in Worcester, MA
Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
●
2018
●
Vol. 30
Arthur Elmes
,
John Rogan
,
Lara Roman
,
Christopher Williams
,
Samuel Ratick
,
David Nowak
,
Deborah Martin
Article in Refereed Journal
Cross-Scale Correlation between In Situ Measurements of Canopy Gap Fraction and Landsat-Derived Vegetation Indices with Implications for Monitoring the Seasonal Phenology in Tropical Forests Using MODIS Data
Remote Sensing
●
2018
●
Vol. 10
●
Issue #7
Nicholas Cuba
,
John Rogan
,
Deborah Lawrence
,
Christopher Williams
Article in Refereed Journal
Upside-down fluxes Down Under: CO 2 net sink in winter and net source in summer in a temperate evergreen broadleaf forest
Biogeosciences
●
2018
●
Vol. 15
●
Issue #12
Alexandre Renchon
,
Anne Griebel
,
Daniel Metzen
,
Christopher Williams
,
Belinda Medlyn
,
Remko Duursma
,
Craig Barton
,
Chelsea Maier
,
Matthias Boer
,
Peter Isaac
,
others
Article in Refereed Journal
Corrigendum: Recent pause in the growth rate of atmospheric CO 2 due to enhanced terrestrial carbon uptake
Nature communications
●
2017
●
Vol. 8
Trevor Keenan
,
I Prentice
,
Josep Canadell
,
Christopher Williams
,
Han Wang
,
Michael Raupach
,
G Collatz
Article in Refereed Journal
Towards physiologically meaningful water-use efficiency estimates from eddy covariance data
Global Change Biology
●
2017
J"urgen Knauer
,
S"onke Zaehle
,
Belinda Medlyn
,
Markus Reichstein
,
Christopher Williams
,
Mirco Migliavacca
,
Kauwe, De
,
Christiane Werner
,
Claudia Keitel
,
Pasi Kolari
,
others
Article in Refereed Journal
Mapping of the Asian longhorned beetle’s time to maturity and risk to invasion at contiguous United States extent
Biological Invasions
●
2017
●
Vol. 19
●
Issue #7
Alexander Kappel
,
R Trotter
,
Melody Keena
,
John Rogan
,
Christopher Williams
Article in Refereed Journal
Effects of urban tree canopy loss on land surface temperature magnitude and timing
ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
●
2017
●
Vol. 128
Arthur Elmes
,
John Rogan
,
Christopher Williams
,
Samuel Ratick
,
David Nowak
,
Deborah Martin
Awards & Grants
NFCMS Update and Carbon Assessments for Forest Conservation Planning and Action
Open Space Institute/ US Forest Service Forest Legacy Program
Jun. 1, 2023 - Sep. 30, 2024
Decision Support Tools for Global Assessment of Albedo Impacts on NCS from Reforestation and Avoided Deforestation
The Nature Conservancy
Jan. 1, 2021 - Dec. 31, 2023
US Deforestation Climate Impacts Analysis
The Nature Conservancy
Jun. 1, 2022 - Sep. 30, 2023
Forest Loss from Wood Pellet Mill Industry in Southern US
Southern Environmental Law Center
May. 1, 2020 - Jan. 31, 2021
Climate Change Mitigation through Avoided Deforestation and other Forest Pathways
US Climate Alliance (Doris Duke Charitable Fund source)
Oct. 1, 2019 - Dec. 31, 2020
Vegetation Decline and Recovery During the Millennium Drought in Australia Seen from Satellites
NASA
Sep. 1, 2017 - Aug. 31, 2020
ACT-America Surface Biogenic Carbon Flux Priors from CASA: Providing Priors, Analyzing Error Structures and Reducing Parameter Uncertainties
NASA
Jul. 13, 2016 - Jul. 12, 2020
Albedo Contributions to Climate Impacts of Forest Conversions in Canada
