Christopher Barton

Professor of Forest Hydrology and Watershed Management

Faculty

203 Thomas Poe Cooper Building 730 Rose Street Lexington, KY 40546-0073

barton@uky.edu

(859) 257-2099

Green Forests Work

Last Revised: Sep 15th, 2025

Professional Biography

Christopher D. Barton, Ph.D. is a Professor of Forest Hydrology and Watershed Management in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Kentucky. He is currently working in the areas of water resources, ecosystem restoration, reforestation and remediation of streams, wetlands and mined lands. Dr. Barton is the founder and President of Green Forests Work, an NGO that aims to improve the environment and economy of mined landscapes. Through this program, 8 million trees have been planted on mined lands in Appalachia and Australia and over 30,000 volunteers have participated. Dr. Barton currently serves on the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Committee on Earth Resources. Recently, Dr. Barton was named a Fulbright Distinguished Chair and worked with CSIRO in Australia. In his free time, Chris and his wife, May May, are growing a truffle orchard on their family farm in Lexington and trying to teach their dog to sniff out the elusive fungi. For more information visit: www.greenforestswork.org.

Course Instruction

FOR 356: Forest Soils and Hydrology (1)

Course Description: Students will learn to assess the physical environment of forested ecosystems by examining soil-plant-water relationships across a variety of landscape settings. Class will be conducted in an outdoor forest setting often in steep terrain and inclement weather.

Term(s) Taught: Spring

FOR 460: Forest Hydrology and Watershed Management (3)

Course Description: Principles and techniques involved in watershed management as it relates to the practice of forestry. Emphasis is placed on understanding the hydrologic cycle, plant-soil interactions from a land-use and landscape perspective, and the need for implementation of forestry best management practices.

Term(s) Taught: Fall

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Contact Information

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