Harper, Richard W.

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Extension Associate Professor

Office: 320 Holdsworth Hall
Tel: +1 (413) 545-3747

E-mail: rharper

Curriculum vitae

Primary interests

As Extension faculty, my position involves initiating & expanding a broad-based integrated research & extension program in support of the management of municipal forests & urban landscapes. I administer the award-winning ‘Urban Forestry Today‘ monthly webcasts, designed to meet real-time educational needs of practitioners & I closely align outreach-programming efforts with cooperating associations & agencies. I regularly contribute to newsletters (ISA New England Chapter Newsletter; MA DCR Citizen Forester) read by professionals & tree enthusiasts across Massachusetts & New England.

Current Integrated Research-Extension Projects

Current Associations

Massachusetts Tree Wardens and Foresters Association (Board of Directors)
International Society of Arboriculture – New England Chapter (President)
ReGreen Springfield (Board of Directors)
USDA Forest Service – Urban Forest Strike Team (Advisory Board)

Courses Taught

NRC 310 Community Forestry
NRC 340 (form. NRC 390G) Plant Health Care

Refereed Journal Publications (Selected)

Dampier, J.E., R.W. Harper, A. McElhinney and E. Biltonen. 2018. Modeling benefit–cost analysis of hemlock woolly adelgid host plant resistance with emphasis on least-toxic chemical treatment alternatives. HortTechnology 28(5): 624-628.

Harper, R.W., E.S. Huff, D.V. Bloniarz, S. DeStefano and C.R. Nicolson. 2018. Exploring the characteristics of successful volunteer-led urban forest tree committees in Massachusetts. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 34: 311-317.

Bocsi, T.J., P.S. Warren, R.W. Harper and S. DeStefano. 2018. Wildlife Habitat Management on College and University Campuses. Cities and the Environment (CATE) 11(1): 1-14.

Harper, R.W., D.V. Bloniarz, S. DeStefano, C.R. Nicolson. 2017. Urban forest management in New England: Towards a contemporary understanding of tree wardens in Massachusetts communities. Arboricultural Journal 41(3): 1-19.

Scharenbroch, B.C., D. Carter, M. Bialecki, R. Fahey, L. Scheberl, M. Catania, L.A. Roman, N.L. Bassuk, R.W. Harper, L. Werner, A. Siewert, S. Miller, L. Hutyra and S. Raciti. 2017. A rapid urban site index for assessing the quality of street tree planting sites. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 27: 279-286.

Yin, J., R.W. Harper and N.L. Bassuk. 2017. Effects of Tree Production Method and Transplanting on Root Hydraulic Conductance. Journal of Environmental Horticulture 35(2): 79-83.

Allen, K.S., R.W. Harper, A. Bayer and N.J. Brazee. 2017. Nursery production systems and their impact on urban tree survival. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 21(1): 183-191.

Harper, R.W. and P.A. Weston. 2016. Potential of alternative Tsuga spp. as landscape replacements for T. canadensis: Longer-term evaluation and propagation of T. chinensis. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 42(5): 346-354.

Harper, R.W., W.R. Autio, J.T. Finn and F.S. Rossi. 2016. Tree Wardens and public grounds management in North America: Overseeding athletic fields with perennial ryegrass to promote safe playing surface. Arboricultural Journal 40(3): 1-13.

Markarian, G., R.W. Harper and D.V. Bloniarz. 2016. Flexible, open-source programmes and estimating projections of urban tree benefits: A case study in Amherst, MA. Arboricultural Journal 38(1): 1-13.

Green, B.L., R.W. Harper and D.A. Lass. 2015. Differing nursery production systems impact cost of planting oak species in the urban environment. Horttechnology 25(5): 651-656.

Dampier, J.E.E., R.W. Harper, L. Schwartzberg and R.H. Lemelin. 2015. A comparison of arborists’ and horticulturists’ preferences of Tsuga chinensis to T. canadensis in the urban landscape. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 41(1): 41-48.

Clapp, J.C., H. D.P.Ryan III, R.W. Harper and D.V. Bloniarz. 2014. Rationale for the increased use of conifers as functional green infrastructure. Arboricultural Journal 36(3): 161-178.

Harper, R.W. and R.S. Cowles. 2013. Susceptibility of Chinese hemlock (Tsuga chinensis) to injury from autumn horticultural oil applications. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 39(1): 6-10.

Weston, P.A. and R.W. Harper. 2009. Potential of Tsuga spp. from North America and Asia as replacements for eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 35(1): 5-9.

Outreach Publications (Selected)

Allen, K.S., R.W. Harper and A.L. Bayer. 2018. Nursery production systems and their impact on urban tree growth and development (part II). Arborist News 27(5): 12-21. (October)

Harper, R.W., K.S. Allen and A.L. Bayer. 2018. Nursery production systems and their impact on urban tree growth and development. Arborist News 27(4): 12-19. (August)

Harper, R.W. and D.V. Bloniarz. 2018. Regreening Springfield, MA – and communities nationwide – one tree at a time. Arborist News 27(1): 22-25. (February)

McElhinney, A.M., R.W. Harper and D.A. Lass 2017. Understanding the true costs of planting and growing urban trees. Arborist News 26(6): 22-28. (December)

Harper, R.W. and D.V. Bloniarz. 2017. Income, equity and the urban forest: Strengthening student understanding in Springfield, MA. Arborist News 26(3): 26-28. (June)

Harper, R.W. 2016. Tree of merit. City Trees: The Journal of the Society of Municipal Arborists (Issues I-IV).

Clapp, J.C. and R.W. Harper. 2015. The value and function of evergreen conifers as urban green infrastructure. Arborist News 24(2): 42-45. (April)

Harper R.W. and J.L. Gangloff-Kaufmann. 2014. Stinging insects in the urban landscape: Their management, your safety. Arborist News 23(5): 28-31. (October)

Harper R.W. and J.L. Gangloff-Kaufmann. 2014. Arborists and stinging insects in the urban landscape. Arborist News 23(4): 44-47. (August)

Bradley, B.A. and R.W. Harper. 2014. Can community forests keep pace with a changing climate? Arborist News 23(3): 44-47. (June)

Harper, R.W. 2013. Urban forestry on the frontier. City Trees: The Journal of the Society of Municipal Arborists 49(5):10-14.

Book Reviews

Harper, R.W. 2018. Review of Hemlock: A forest giant on the edge, By D. R. Foster. Journal of Forestry 116(1): 88-89.

Harper, R.W. 2017. Review of The illustrated encyclopedia of trees (2^nd ed), by D. Moore and J.W. White. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 42(3): 83-85.

Harper, R.W. 2016. Review of Features from the past for the future, Branching Out: An integrated pest management newsletter for trees and shrubs, by D.D. O’Brien and G.W. Hudler. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 42(3): 213-214.

Harper, R.W. 2015. Review of The abc’s field guide to young and small tree pruning by A.G. Pleninger and C.J. Luley. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 41(1): 49-50.

Harper, R.W. 2014. Review of Wasp and bee management: a common-sense approach, by J.L. Gangloff-Kaufmann. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 40(1): 46-47.