1. The Earth Surface – Atmosphere Interface Processes and their Environmental and Climate Effects
Chief Scientist: Prof. FU Pingqing
Team members: Prof. LI Siliang, Prof. LIU Xueyan, Prof. YAN Zhifeng, Prof. QI Yulin, Prof. ZHU Jialei
Abstracts: This research group mainly works on the earth surface-atmosphere interface processes and their environmental and climate effects. The group members conducted a series of original studies on the biogeochemical cycles of organic carbon at the land/ocean-atmosphere interface, the usage of environmental isotopes to trace the inorganic and organic matter cycles in the watershed, the atmosphere, and the land/atmosphere interface, as well as the modeling work on their environmental and climate effects. The group members are Professors Siliang Li, Xueyan Liu, Zhifeng Yan, Yulin Qi and Jialei Zhu who are working together in the School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University. Three of them are winners of National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars. The group leader is Professor Pingqing Fu. He has published 290 papers in well-known international journals, among which 57 of them were published in nature-index journals such as Science Advances, Water Research, Environmental Science and Technology, and JGR-atmospheres. His papers obtain more than 9300 citations with an H-index of 53. A total of 15 of his papers have been listed as "highly cited papers" by ESI. Prof. Pingqing Fu was selected as the Clarivate "Highly Cited Researcher 2021" (Field of Geosciences). During the past five years, the group members have published 280 papers in famous journals such as Nature Communications, National Science Review, Science Advances, One Earth, PNAS, Global Change Biology, Environmental Science and Technology, and have achieved innovative accomplishments with international reputation in the research field of environmental geography sciences.
2. Investigation of Coastal Wetland Resources around Bohai Sea
PI: Prof. WANG Ttiejun
Team members: Prof. WANG Ttiejun, Prof. LANG Yunchao, Prof. GUO yuedong，Prof. HUANG Yu
Abstract: The Bohai Rim region plays an important role in China's opening-up and coastal development strategy. The coastal wetlands in the region are rich in resources, ecological environment, tourism and other service functions. However, due to climate change and human activities, the water resources and water environment, plant resources and waterfowl habitats, shoreline and tourism resources of coastal wetlands are seriously threatened. At present, there is no systematic investigation of coastal wetland resources in the Bohai Rim coastal wetland as a complete ecological area, and there is a lack of regional comprehensive scientific investigation data on coastal wetlands. Therefore, it is urgent to carry out a survey of coastal wetland resources around the Bohai Sea, providing data support and scientific decision-making basis for regional ecological environment and sustainable socio-economic development. This project will establish technical standards and norms for investigating coastal wetland resources in response to the frequent interaction between sea and land and the high intensity of human activities in the coastal wetland area; On this basis, combined with general and key investigations, a comprehensive scientific investigation of water resources and water environment, plant resources and waterfowl habitats, shoreline and tourism resources in the coastal wetlands around the Bohai Sea will be carried out using historical data collection, field investigations, remote sensing, isotope analysis and other investigation methods. The health of the coastal wetland water ecosystem, the current status of plant resources and waterfowl habitat resources, and the characteristics of shoreline resource circulation will be evaluated; Based on national field stations, sort out historical data on coastal wetland resources, human activities, climate, etc. around the Bohai Sea, and quantitatively analyze the impact of climate change and human activities on coastal wetland resources and their service functions in the past 50 years; Establish a dataset and atlas of coastal wetland resources around the Bohai Sea, construct an ecological data information system for coastal wetland resources and environment around the Bohai Sea, and achieve open sharing of scientific and technological resources. Finally, obtain historical and current data on coastal wetland resources around the Bohai Sea, quantitatively identify the impact of human activities and climate change on coastal wetland resources; Establish technical standards and norms for investigating coastal wetland resources, and construct an ecological data information system for coastal wetland resources and environment in the Bohai Rim region; Clarify the changing trends and collaborative evolution mechanisms of various resources in the coastal wetlands around the Bohai Sea, and propose plans for the protection and ecological function enhancement of the coastal wetlands around the Bohai Sea.
3. International cooperation and exchanges project funded by NSFC: To evaluate macronutrient transportation and water quality in Karst Critical Zone, SW China
Team members: Prof. LI Siliang, Prof. Susan Waldron, Prof. XU Sheng, Dr. DING Hu, Dr. YUE Fujun
Abstract: The over-arching challenge of this proposal is to advance understanding of therole of the Karst Critical Zone (K-CZ) in regulating macronutrient (C, N, P, S) transport from soils to water, and subsequent fluvial attenuation/augmentation due towide distributions of large pores and conduits in karst systems. The key objectives of this study are to determine macronutrient fluxesto and within the catchment, including source identification and attenuating processes. To characterize the different sources of end-member macronutrient loading we will use stable and radiocarbon isotopic measurements. Determining how macronutrient loading isattenuated/augmented with transport, within different land use units andmacronutrient stoichiometry. We will quantify the relative loading of each macronutrientsource and utilise its geochemical fingerprint to identify source contributionsin the fluvial system for understanding what controls water quality.
4. Nitrogen isotope geochemistry
PI：Prof. LIU Xueyan
Abstract:It remains difficult to differentiate anthropogenic contributions and to quantify fractional proportions of different N species in atmospheric N deposition, which is also a bottleneck problem for accurate understanding of environmental behaviors, processes and consequences of N deposition. This project focuses on tracing sources and compositions of atmospheric reactive N deposition using novel isotopic and modelling methods.
5. Si-C coupling biogeochemistry in terrestrial ecosystem
PI: Prof. SONG Zhaoliang
Abstract: The applicant has proposed the innovative idea that silicon is coupled with terrestrial biogeochemical carbon cycle through plant-enhanced silicate weathering, phytolith turnover and secondary aluminosilicate accumulation and improved the theory of coupled terrestrial biogeochemical cycles of silicon and carbon. He has also studied coupled silicon-carbon cycle in terrestrial ecosystems including grasslands, forests and croplands of China, and gained innovative achievements in the fields of phytolith carbon sink, carbon sink of silicate weathering and silicon cycle regulation. His achievements can offer references for national and global carbon sink management practices. He has taken charge of many projects such as Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China and Program of Zhejiang Province Natural Science Foundation. As a first and/or corresponding author, he has published 1paper in EI journal, 21 papers in SCI journals (Total IF=74.859) including 8 papers published in international firstclass top SCI journals s uch as Earth-Science Reviews (IF=7.34) and Global Change Biology (IF=8.224), and gained 2 prizes of Liangxi Youth Paper Award. He has been chosen as the key person to be trained as young talent scientiest by several personnel training programs such as Distinguished-CORE, Distinguished Young and Middle-aged Academic Leaders of Higher Education Institutions of Zhejiang Province, and the New-Century 151 Talent Program of Zhejiang Province. He will select different grasslands including meadow steppe and typical steppe in China and further investigate the accumulation and carbon sink effects of phytoliths in soils of grasslands by comprehensively using methods of carbon isotope and morphology of phytoliths and mass balance calculation and by linking PhytOC production, stability and accumulation in grasslands. The research results may offer scientific references for successful management of phytolith carbon sink in grassland ecosystems.
6. International cooperation and exchanges project funded by NSFC: Soil evolution constrained by rock and biological activities in Karst Critical Zone, SW China
PI: Prof. SONG Zhaoliang
Team members: Prof. SONG Zhaoliang, Dr. LUO Weijun, Dr. LIU Taozhe
Abstract: Recent expansion of the areas of rocky desertification is mainly related to the loss of mass transfer and energy exchange balance between different earth spheres mainly caused by anthropogenic activities. This project will select karst critical zones under different lithological, topographical, vegetation and human perturbation conditions in Houzhai watersheds of Puding, Maolan karst forests of Libo, and Ganlongdong cave of Qianxi. Analysis of major and trace elements and isotopic tracing methods of strontium, silicon and uranium will be employed to reveal mechanisms of soil formation in karst critical zones. Uranium-series isotopes (238U, 234U and 230Th), in-situ produced cosmogenic nuclides (e.g., 36Cl) and solute balance in soil profiles and solute balance in stream water will be utilized to determine rates of weathering and pedogenesis and controlling factors at different time and spacial scales. Fallout radionuclide-based techniques (137Cs, 10Pbex, 7Be and 10Be) for soil and sedimentary profiles will be used to determine surfacial and subsurfacial soil erosion rates and their controlling factors. Based on the above investigation, the project will also analyze phytolith assemblage and stable and radioactive C isotopes and reveal the controlling mechanisms of soil evolution in karst critical zones. Finally, the project will construct models of soil evolution in karst critical zones and predict the losing trends and recovery potential of soils under different future land use conditions. The research can provide theoretical basis for studies on the mechanisms of formation, evolution, and sustainability of karst critical zones, and offer references for the control of soil erosion and ecosystem recovery in karst regions.
(Data updated on 31/12/2023)
