Thomas Baker has a Bachelor of Forest Science (Honours) 1976 and Doctor of Philosophy 1982 from The University of Melbourne.

His research experience and achievement in native forest, plantation forest, and agriculture systems in Australia, New Zealand and China has focussed on growth and yield in relation to site and management factors; and has extended to research management and team leadership in government and university roles, university teaching and academic supervision, and an industry engagement focus.

His research themes have included: Distribution and cycling of nutrients in forests and plantations; Development and amelioration of soil acidity under agricultural systems; Impacts of fire and mechanical disturbance on nutrient availability in forest soils; Impacts of saline or nutrient-rich irrigation water on growth, nutrient uptake and soil properties in plantations; Plantation growth and productivity in relation to soil factors, tree nutrition, and fertiliser application; Silvicultural management (e.g. thinning, pruning) of plantations for high-value timber production; Empirical modelling of plantation growth and yield; Process-based modelling of plantation growth, water-use and salinity impacts of plantations in catchments; and Carbon in forest and plantation biomass, litter and soil as affected by species and site factors and by management (e.g. fire).