Chris Cronan
Research Interests
Biogeochemistry
Plant Ecology
Ecosystem Ecology
Land Use Planning
Resource Sustainability in
Forest Ecosystems
Effects of Air Pollution and Global Change on Natural
Resources
Research Projects
Alternative Futures Modeling
Courses
BIO 319: General Ecology
BIO 550: Biogeochemistry of Terrestrial Ecosystems
Profile
Dr. Christopher Cronan is a Professor of Plant Biology and Ecology at the University of Maine. His work focuses on biogeochemistry and plant ecology, resource sustainability in forest ecosystems, and the effects of air pollution and global change on natural resources.
His work with Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative involves looking at ways to target stream ecosystems and future land conservation locations in Maine that may be at risk from human development activities. To date, his research team has developed a landscape spatial model that addresses these research objectives. This model is intended to identify land areas that are most suitable for development, conservation, and resource management, providing a way to promote smart growth.
Dr. Cronan has established an international reputation for his research and scholarship in the areas of biogeochemistry, ecosystem ecology, and watershed analysis. His 65 publications have appeared in leading international scientific publications including Science, Nature, Water Resources Research, Environmental Science and Technology, Oecologia, Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, BioScience, and Journal of Environmental Quality. Funding for his research has been provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, Electric Power Research Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, and Maine Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.
Dr. Cronan is the author of two textbooks: Introduction to Ecology and Ecosystems Analysis and Biogeochemistry of Terrestrial Ecosystems. His teaching responsibilities include undergraduate courses in general ecology and biology of organisms and a graduate class in biogeochemistry. He also serves as chair of a local planning board.
Selected Publications
Robert J. Lilieholm, Spencer R. Meyer, Michelle L. Johnson, and Christopher S. Cronan, “Land Conservation in the Northeastern United States: An Assessment of Historical Trends and Current Conditions,” Environment 55, no. 4 (2013): 3-14.
Christopher S. Cronan, “Biogeochemistry of the Penobscot River Watershed, Maine, USA: Nutrient Export Patterns for Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus,”?Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 184, no. 7 (2012): 4279-4288.
Christopher S. Cronan, Robert J. Lilieholm, Jill Tremblay, and Timothy Glidden, “An Assessment of Land Conservation Patterns in Maine Based on Spatial Analysis of Ecological and Socioeconomic Indicators,” Environmental Management 45 (2010): 1076-1095.
Christopher S. Cronan, “Below Ground Biomass, Production, and Carbon Cycling in Mature Norway Spruce, Maine, USA,” Canadian Journal of Forest Research 33 (2003): 339-350.
Reports, Books and Chapters:
Christopher S. Cronan. “Major Cations in Freshwaters (Ca, Mg, Na, K, Al),” in Biogeochemistry of Inland Waters, ed. Gene E. Likens (San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 2010), 354 – 360.
Charles T. Driscoll, Gregory B. Lawrence, Arthur J. Bulger, Thomas J. Butler, Christopher S. Cronan, Christopher Eager, Kathy F. Lambert, Gene E. Likens, James L. Stoddard, and Kathleen C. Weathers. “Acidic Deposition in the Northeastern United States: Sources and Inputs, Ecosystem Effects, and Management Strategies,” in Boreal Shield Watersheds: Lake Trout Ecosystems in a Changing Environment, eds. J. Gunn, R. Steedman, and R. Ryder (New York: Lewis Publishers, 2004), 159 – 160.
Christopher S. Cronan, Introduction to Ecology and Ecosystems Analysis (Maine: Shaw-Ferguson Environmental Publications, 1996), 256.
Christopher S. Cronan, Ecosystem Biogeochemistry – Element Cycling in the Forest Landscape (Maine: Shaw-Ferguson Environmental Publications, 2008), 265.
