Chris Armatas

Research Social Scientist

Armatas-photo-2.jpg

Email: christopher.armatas@usda.gov
Phone: (406) 542-4192
Fax: (406) 542-4196
 

Address:
790 East Beckwith Ave
Missoula, MT 59801

Education

  • University of Montana, Missoula, MT, PhD., 2019

    Major: Forestry and Conservation Sciences

  • University of Montana, Missoula, MT, Masters of Science, 2012
    Major: Resource Conservation

  • St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY, Bachelor of Arts, 2005
    Major: Economics

Background

Chris joins the Leopold Institute after years of working as a social scientist focused on wildlands management and planning through an interdisciplinary, social-ecological systems lens. More specifically, his research includes qualitative and quantitative approaches to understand how human well-being is supported by the variety of benefits flowing from our public lands, social vulnerability to environmental and land use change, and methods for integrating science into public engagement efforts for large planning processes (Forest Plan revision, comprehensive river management planning). Chris’ desire to work in support of effective stewardship of wilderness and wildlands stems from years spent working on the Yellowstone River and exploring the wild places surrounding Yellowstone National Park. To learn more about Chris's research, visit his Research Information Tracking System page on the USDA FS website.

Publications

Armatas, C.A., W. T. Borrie, A.E. Watson. (2019). Protocol for Social Vulnerability Assessment to Support National Forest Planning and Management: a technical manual for engaging the public to understand ecosystem service tradeoffs and drivers of change. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-396. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 52 p.

Armatas, C.A., R. Campbell, A.E. Watson, W.T. Borrie, N. Christensen, and T.J. Venn. (2018). An integrated approach to valuation and tradeoff analysis of ecosystem services for national forest decision-making. Ecosystem Services (33):1-18. DOI 10.1016/j.ecoser.2018.07.007

Watson, A.E., and C.A. Armatas. (2017). A mental model of science informed by public lands managers: Increasing the chances for management based on science. Journal of Contemporary Management 8(4):1-17.

Armatas, C.A., T.J. Venn, and A.E. Watson. (2017). Understanding social-ecological vulnerability with Q-methodology: a case study of water-based ecosystem services in Wyoming, USA. Sustainability Science 12 (1):105-121. DOI 10.1007/s11625-016-0369-1.

Armatas, C.A., T.J. Venn, B.B. McBride, A.E. Watson, and S.J. Carver. (2016). Opportunities to utilize traditional phenological knowledge to support adaptive management of social-ecological systems vulnerable to changes in climate and fire regimes. Ecology and Society 21 (1):16. http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol21/iss1/art16/

Armatas, C. A., T.J. Venn, and A.E. Watson. (2014). Applying Q-methodology to select and define attributes for non-market valuation: A case study from northwest Wyoming, United States.  Ecological Economics 107:447-456. [online] URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2014.09.010.