The ecological research at CRE currently focuses on three fields: (1) Effects of climate change on ecological processes; (2) Plant's life-form strategies; (3) Landscape pattern, processes, and dynamics. Specifically, the research objects at CRE include: (1) Response of carbon cycling in grassland ecosystems to climate change (2) Emission characteristics and controlling of greenhouse gases in grassland ecosystems; (3) Plant's ecophysiological aspects of climate change; (4) Underground ecological processes and controlling mechanisms; (5) Spatial analysis and scale issues; (6) Dynamic simulation of grasshopper meta-population; (6) Structure and function of urban riparian buffer; (7) Carbon-water cycling processes modeling; (7) Plant's water-use strategies; (8) Drought severity assessment. The current research projects include: (1) Carbon and water cycling processes at multiple scales (NSFC); (2) Multi-scale pattern-process interactions among urban land use, riparian zone structure, and transfer of nitrogen and phosphorus in river (NSFC); (3) Comparison of plasticity in water-use strategy between Leymus chinensis and Stipa grandis (NSFC); (4) Warming effects on formation and stability of soil organic-mineral complexes in Kobresia humilis meadow – micro-scale study (project of CAS "Knowledge Innovation Program"); (5) Potential relationship between spatial pattern of stomata and plasticity of stomatal density (project of CAS 'knowledge innovation program); (6) CH₄ and N₂O Emission from northern temperate meadow steppes of China (project of CAS "Strategic Priority Research Program").

Ecological Experiment

Grasshoppers Grazing Grasses (Taken in Xianghuangqi, Inner Mongolia)

Gas Sampling on Grassland

People in this Division: