Max R. L. Piana, Associate of the Arnold Arboretum

Biography

I am ecologist specializing in urban systems and applied ecology. My teaching and research engage the interface of ecology and design. Specific research topics include plant population and community dynamics in urban landscapes (from natural to constructed), urban restoration ecology, green infrastructure design and performance, global urban biodiversity trends, and community-based science and workforce training in underserved neighborhoods. I am a Co-Lead of the Urban Silviculture Network, an international network of urban forest ecologists and practitioners that is advancing methods in forest mapping, inventory, and management. I am also a Team Lead for the Updated Silvics of North America (USNAP), a collaborative effort by the US Forest Service, Canadian Forest Service, and the National Forestry Commission of Mexico to produce a comprehensive reference for tree species of the continent. 

Prior to teaching at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, I was a Research Ecologist at the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, a member of the Research Group at KieranTimberlake and the Forest Steward at the Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center. I continue to support federal research as an Official Volunteer for the Forest Service’s Northern Research Station.