Meet the Forestry Faculty

Francisco X. Aguilar, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Forestry

Phone: 573-882-6304
E-mail: aguilarf@missouri.edu
Address: 203 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building

Education

Ph.D. 2007, Louisiana State University

Research

Spatial analysis of natural resource-based industries.
Forest industry corporate responsibility and environmental stewardship programs.
Consumer preferences for forest products.
Forest sector economic development.

Research Summary

Aguilar's research interests include the study of spatial phenomena occurring in the Forest Industry. His work has focused on the application of Cluster and Location Theories to analyze the Forest Industry in the United States. A better understanding of the spatial distribution of the industry is essential to the identification of competitive advantages in the global market. Aguilar considers it to be necessary to incorporate a spatial dimension when analyzing natural resource problems because of interrelated biological, social and economic variants involved in forest management and land uses.

Aguilar has studied the development and expansion of environmental certification programs in the global marketplace. In particular, he has focused on the potential adoption of a common global code of conduct for sustainable forest management. Aguilar's interest in consumer preferences lies in his belief that a better understanding of purchasing preferences is key to promoting sustainable consumption patterns.

Given the current potential for the development of biomass energy sources, Aguilar is also interested in studying the economic impact of renewable energy initiatives on the forest resource. Aguilar's diverse portfolio of research interests is grounded in his desire to enhance peoples' well-being and to contribute to the efficient use of the world's natural resources. Aguilar is a former British Council Scholar and has received awards from the Earth Island Institute, World Resources Institute and Resources for the Future in the U.S. Originally from Ecuador, Aguilar has significant international experience working in the Americas, Asia and Europe.

Teaching

Forest Resource Economics and Finance.
Natural Resource Policy and Administration.
Ecosystem Management: The Human Dimension.

Selected Publications

Aguilar, F.X., Garrett, H.E. 2009.
Perspectives of Woody Biomass for Energy: Survey of State Foresters, State Energy Biomass Contacts, and National Council of Forestry Association Executives. Journal of Forestry. 107(6): 297-306.
Aguilar, F.X., 2009.
Potential for Private Investments in Wood-Based Energy Initiatives in the U.S. Energy Policy 37 (6): 2292–2299.
Aguilar, F.X. 2009.
Spatial econometric analysis of location drivers in a renewable resource-based industry: The U.S. South Lumber Industry. Forest Policy and Economics 11: 184–193.
Aguilar, F.X., Bratkovich, S.M., Fernholz, K. Garrard, A., Grala R. , Leightley, L., Martin, W. and I. A. Munn. 2009.
The Status of and Opportunities for Business Clustering within the Forest Products Sector in the U.S. Report prepared for the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Inc.
Aguilar, F.X., Cernusca, M. and M. Gold. 2009.
Conjoint Analysis of Consumer Preferences for Chestnuts Attributes. HortTech 19(1): 216-223.
Aguilar, F.X. 2008.
Differentiating region-specific principles and informing consumers – why there should be a two-label forest product certification structure. Journal of Forestry. 106(4):234-235.
Aguilar, F.X. 2008.
Effect of Centrifugal Forces on Cluster Patterns in the Softwood Lumber Industry of the United States. Forest Science. 54(2): 242-249.
Aguilar, F.X. and R.P. Vlosky. 2008.
An Exploratory Analysis of U.S. Homebuilders and Architect Attitudes Toward Descriptions of Forest Certification. Forest Products Journal. 58(3):26-33.
Aguilar, F.X., and R.P. Vlosky. 2007.
Consumer willingness to pay price premiums for environmentally certified wood products in the USA . Forest Policy and Economics. 9: 1100–1112.
Mejía, A., Vlosky, R.P., Shupe, T.F. and F.X. Aguilar. 2006.
Análisis participativo de las fortalezas, oportunidades, debilidades y amenazas de la pequeña y mediana industria transformadora de madera en Siguatepeque y San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Recursos Naturales y Ambiente. 46-47: 158-165.
Aguilar, F.X. and R.P. Vlosky. 2006.
Spatial analysis of forest product manufacturer clusters in Louisiana. Wood and Fiber Science. 38(1): 121-131.
Blackman, A., Avalos-Sartorio, B., Chow, J. and F.X. Aguilar. 2006.
Tree cover loss in El Salvador's coffee forests (PDF). Report to the Inter-American Development Bank. RFF, Washington D.C.
Fischer, C., Aguilar, F.X., Jawahar, P., and R. Sedjo. 2005.
Forest certification: Toward common standards, Discussion paper(PDF), RFF, Washington D.C.