Christopher Weston

Associate Professor Christopher Weston is affiliated with the School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences in the Faculty of Science at the University of Melbourne, where he holds the position of Associate Professor (Forest Eco, Fire & Soils). He obtained his PhD in forest ecology from the School of Botany at the University of Melbourne between 1984 and 1991 and also holds a BSc (Hons) from the same university. Throughout his career at the University of Melbourne, he has served in various academic capacities, including as Senior Lecturer in Forest Science. He has coordinated programs such as the Master of Forest Ecosystem Science and contributed to teaching in forest systems management.

Weston's research interests as a forest ecologist include the biogeochemistry of forest ecosystems, forest soils, ecosystem ecology, forest productivity, carbon and nutrient cycling in forests, greenhouse gas emissions from forests, and bushfire fuels science. Specific focuses encompass forest net productivity, nutrient and carbon cycles, fire effects on forest carbon balance, black carbon formation, and the impact of climate change on forest fuel accumulation and structure. He has been involved in key projects, including 'Smoke Transportation Modelling and Emission Modelling for Victoria' (2013-2015), 'Improving Capacities Towards Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Peat Swamp Forest Fires in Indonesia' (2018-2022), and 'Reducing Uncertainty in Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Indonesian Peatfires' (2020-2021). Notable publications comprise 'Redistribution and emission of forest carbon by planned burning in Eucalyptus obliqua (L. Hérit.) forest of south-eastern Australia' (2013), 'Nondestructive estimates of above-ground biomass using terrestrial laser scanning' (2014), 'Prescribed fire increases pyrogenic carbon in litter and surface soil of mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forest' (2016), 'Recovery of Carbon and Vegetation Diversity 23 Years after Fire in a Tropical Dryland Forest of Indonesia', and 'Simplifying emissions modelling from wildland fires: laboratory-scale emission factors are independent of fine woody debris fuel load' (2025).

Professional Email: weston@unimelb.edu.au