Title: Agricultural diversification and its application and effect in rice production
Date: 2024-04-03
Time: 13:30-14:30
Room: ES354
Tencent Meeting ID: 742-1426-3711
Abstract:
Agricultural diversification is being proposed as a solution for intensified agriculture to achieve both food security and agricultural sustainability by enhancing functional diversify at the field and landscape scale. Rice is one of the major staple food in the world, and it plays a decisive role in ensuring national food security. It’s suggested that high biodiversity in rice systems could promote ecosystem services, thereby reducing dependency on agronomic inputs while maintaining high yields. Policy has a good promotion effect on the extension of specific agricultural measures. In this seminar, I will share the application and effect of agricultural diversification in rice production, and how to integrate agricultural diversification in China's major policies for sustainable crop production.
Look forward to seeing you!
Best,
Liwen Wu
]]>
Date: 2024-03-28
Time: 13:30-14:00
Room: ES354
Online link:
https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/v169BGHYrPM6
Meeting ID: 668-4466-7997
Title: Research on Species Diversity in Global Mixed-species Bird Flocks and their Information Flows
Abstract:
Mixed-species bird flocks are a fascinating phenomenon of bird species coexisting through cooperation, which goes beyond the competition typically observed among closely related species, thereby enhancing their survival rates. Studying them could contribute to refining theories of species coexistence and provide feasible scientific guidelines for wildlife conservation and recovery in the current global environmental changes. Here, I would like to introduce the diversity of mixed-species bird flocks, including their composition characteristics, and the variation of their phylogenetic structure along latitudinal gradients, and explore their “trait - environment” relationships on a global scale, as discussed in my master's thesis. I will also present the preliminary observations and results of alarming calls and mobbing calls experiments from my field experiments over the past six months.
]]>
Date: 2024-03-28
Time: 13:00-13:30
Room: ES354
Online link:
https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/v169BGHYrPM6
Meeting ID: 668-4466-7997
Title: : Patterns and drivers in methane emissions across rivers and streams under climate change scenarios
Abstract:
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas whose atmospheric concentrations have tripled since the industrial period. Recent evidence suggests that global warming has exacerbated methane emissions from freshwater ecosystems, thereby introducing a positive feedback loop into the global climate system. Streams and rivers are integral components of freshwater. Recent assessments have highlighted the importance of streams and rivers in the global methane cycle. Yet, for these water bodies, the drivers of CH4 emissions remain highly uncertain. This research aims to explore the hydrological drivers influencing methane emissions in rivers and streams. By utilizing the Global Methane Database, patterns and relationships between methane emissions and river and stream properties will be investigated. By understanding these dynamics, the research aims to contribute to the knowledge of methane production and consumption in aquatic ecosystems, providing insights into the implications of climate change and ecosystem management.
]]>Title: Designs and Uses of Sand Fences in Reconstructing Coastal Dunes
Date: 2024-03-27
Time: 13:30-14:30
Room: ES354
Tencent Meeting ID: 742-1426-3711
Abstract:
Coastal dunes serve as vital protectors for structures, biodiversity preservation, and mitigation against natural disasters. Unfortunately, they frequently face threats from erosion and human intervention. Sand fences are a widely adopted low-cost solution for rebuilding coastal dunes. This presentation will introduce principles for effective fence configuration design including location, materials, orientation, height, porosity, porosity geometry, porosity distribution, and fence combinations. By adhering to these principles, sand fences can play a crucial role in sustainable coastal management and contribute to the long-term health of our shorelines.
Look forward to seeing you!
Best,
Liwen Wu
]]>
Please find the updated schedule for this semester's staff seminar below.
Summer Semester |
||
Linxi Yuan |
Week2 |
03/06/24 |
Lei Han |
Week3 |
03/13/24 |
Jacob Weiner (guest) |
Week4 |
10:00-11:15 am, Fri., 03/22/24 |
Bailiang Li |
Week5 |
03/27/24 |
Xueqing He |
Week6 |
04/03/24 |
Lingyun Xiao |
Week7 |
04/10/24 |
Jiajia Liu (guest) |
Week8 |
10:00-11:00 am, Fri., 04/19/24 |
Uromi Goodale |
Week9 |
04/24/24 |
(holiday, no seminar) |
Week10 |
05/01/24 |
Wendy Y. Chen (guest) |
Week11 |
05/08/24 |
Yuehan Dou |
Week12 |
05/15/24 |
Liwen Wu |
Week13 |
05/22/24 |
Time: 1:30-2:30 pm, Wednesday
Room: ES354
Tencent Meeting ID: 742-1426-3711
Look forward to seeing you!
Best,
Liwen and Lu
]]>
Date: 2024-03-21
Time: 13:30-14:00
Room: ES354
Online link:
https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/v169BGHYrPM6
Meeting ID: 668-4466-7997
Title: Dynamic processes of Fe-bound organic carbon formation at soil-water interface
Abstract:
Wetlands are major reservoirs of organic matter (OM) storing approximately one-third of soil carbon (ca. 600 Gt) globally. Since 1990, emerging studies have found that metal- or mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) constitutes 8–55% of soil organic carbon (SOC) in wetlands, and reactive minerals exert a strong influence on SOC stability. Fe, as an abundant and highly reactive element in soil, plays a dominant role in the formation of MAOC. A redox transition region exists at the soil-water interface of flooded soils and will be a hot zone for the formation of Fe-bound organic matter. Changes in Fe-bound organic matter under redox fluctuations have received extensive attention. However, the formation and dynamic process of Fe-bound organic matter in the redox region of the soil-water interface at (mm)-scale spatial resolution are still less studied. Different from redox fluctuations, the role of microorganisms in the soil during prolonged inundation will become non-negligible. Microorganisms significantly contribute to the persistent SOC pool through iterative processes of cell generation, population growth, death, decay, and necromass formation. The current results and future experiment plan will be reported during this seminar.
]]>
Date: 2024-03-21
Time: 13:00-13:30
Room: ES354
Online link:
https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/v169BGHYrPM6
Meeting ID: 668-4466-7997
Title: Impacts of urbanisation on insect diversity and food and survival rate of mason bee (Osmia excavate)
Abstract:
Urban areas are growing and continually alert landscapes around the world, thereby affecting biodiversity and ecosystem services such as pollination. Most cities in China are within a rapid urbanization period. Therefore, changes in plant cover, loss of habitat, changes in land use and increases in pollutants are now threatening the survival of pollinators in China. This presentation will introduce the project that uses a field study of mason bees (Osmia excavata) and wild pollinators in Suzhou, China, which will help researchers understand the effects and key drivers of different urbanization intensities on insect diversity and mason bee abundance in real spatial scales. The expected results of this study will provide constructive insights for measures to protect pollinators in urban management and using of pesticides and fertilizers in urban and peri-urban areas.
]]>
Host: Xueqing He
Date: 2024-03-22
Time: 10:00-11:15 am
Room: ES354
Title: Applying Evolutionary Theory to Improve Plant Production
Abstract:
Evolutionary theory can be applied to improve agricultural yields and/or sustainability. The basic idea is that it is very unlikely that plant breeding or genetic engineering can improve attributes already favored by millions of years of natural selection, but there may be unutilized potential in selecting for attributes that increase total crop yield but reduce plants' individual fitness. In other words, plant breeding should be based on group, not individual, selection. In this seminar, I present the theoretical evolutionary and agronomic background for this approach, show recent results testing the core hypothesis, and discuss the potential mechanisms and implications for agriculture and plant breeding.
More information about Prof. Weiner can be found here or on Wikipedia.
For online audiences: please join us with Tencent Meeting (ID: 742-1426-3711)
I look forward to seeing you there!
Best Regards,
Lu
]]>Speaker: Dr. Lei Han
Title: Student-oriented research-led teaching
Date: 2024-03-13
Time: 13:30-14:30
Room: ES354
Tencent Meeting ID: 742-1426-3711
Abstract:
Look forward to seeing you!
Best,
Liwen Wu
Date: 2024-03-14
Time: 13:30-14:00
Room: ES354
Online link:
https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/v169BGHYrPM6
Meeting ID: 668-4466-7997
Title: High performance IPMC actuator based on novel 2D electrical-conductive MOF composites
Abstract:
Existing ionic artificial muscles still require a technological breakthrough for much faster response speed, higher bending strain, and longer durability. Here, we report an artificial muscle based on ionically cross-linked Zn-CAT with poly(3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate), showing ultrafast rise time of within 1.5 s in DC responses, extremely large bending strain up to 1.22% in very low input voltage regime (0.1 to 3V), long-term cyclic stability of 97% up to 10,000 cycles, markedly reduced phase delay, and very broad frequency bandwidth up to 20 Hz with good structural reliability without delamination under continuous electrical stimuli. These successful demonstrations elucidate the wide potential of Zn-CAT -based soft actuators for the next-generation soft robotic devices, including wearable electronics and artificial muscles.
]]>
Date: 2024-03-14
Time: 13:00-13:30
Room: ES354
Online link:
https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/v169BGHYrPM6
Meeting ID: 668-4466-7997
Title: Urbanization and community structure: the impact of habitat transformation on competition and predation in passerine assemblages
Abstract:
Ecology seeks to explain how and why species coexist, and how community assembly determines ecosystem functioning. Urbanization provides a great opportunity to answer these questions because, across transformation gradients, specialists are substituted by generalists resulting in increased functional and phylogenetic similarity. According to the niche theory, coexistence is favoured by niche partitioning, so that increasing similarity would enhance competition, yet mediated by habitat productivity. However, it is unclear how these bottom-to-top processes (the relationships among productivity, niche structure and competition) interact to shape top to bottom processes (predation rates). Theoretically, increasing competition and decreasing productivity would enhance predation pressure from predators to prey, which would be reinforced by low prey selectivity of generalist species. As a result, it would be expected that predation pressure would be higher in transformed habitats. Interestingly, there are studies showing that predation rate could be higher or lower across transformation gradients. A key component of this issue is the diverse methodologies employed to study this process, which might result in biases and may make difficult reaching solid conclusions.
]]>Speaker: Dr. Linxi Yuan
Title: Current knowledge on the Chinese Se hyperaccumulating plant, Cardamine hupingshanensis: Status and challenges
Date: 2024-03-06
Time: 14:00-15:00
Room: ES354
Abstract:
Cardamine hupingshanensis (C. hupingshanensis) is a selenium (Se) hyperaccumulating plant that was discovered in the Hupingshan National Nature Reserve in northwestern Hunan, China in 2008. Over the past 15 years, several significant studies have been conducted on Se accumulation, translocation, and transformation within the soil-plant system, as well as the molecular genes and rhizosphere-phyllosphere microbiome involved in the Se hyperaccumulating mechanism. Additionally, research has shown that the application of this plant can positively impact various areas, such as regulating the immune system and gut microbiota in mice, enhancing poultryproduction, and reducing livestock disease damage. However, there are some remainingchallenges associated with this plant that deserve future studies.
Tencent Meeting ID: 742-1426-3711
Look forward to seeing you!
Best,
Liwen Wu
]]>
Date: 2024-03-07
Time: 13:30-14:00
Room: ES354
Online link:
https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/v169BGHYrPM6
Meeting ID: 668-4466-7997
Title: Modeling PM2.5 deposition to plants with different configurations
Abstract:
Particulate matter (PM) contamination stands as a significant contributor to air pollution, exacerbating the prevalence and fatality rates of numerous diseases. Vegetation emerges as a pivotal factor in mitigating atmospheric particulate matter, employing diverse mechanisms such as surface particle retention on branches and leaves, modulation of wind speed to facilitate PM deposition, and deter resuspension. Prior investigations have underscored the variability in particle dry deposition velocity resultant from different plant classifications, including grass, coniferous, broad-leaved, and shrub varieties, each characterized by distinct roughness indices and morphological features influencing airflow and particle behavior. Although Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Total Leaf Area Density (LAD) within a given plant species have been recognized to impact dry deposition velocity, exploration of other pertinent variable such as optical porosity remains scarce. In this study, a novel model is proposed to assess the aerosol removal efficacy of identical plant species featuring varying front and lateral porosity. Calibration of the model utilizes data obtained from wind tunnel experiments encompassing both authentic plants and artificial plant models. This model offers a framework to appraise the influence of plant porosity and wind direction on PM1 dry deposition velocity.
]]>
Date: 2024-03-07
Time: 13:00-13:30
Room: ES354
Online link: https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/v169BGHYrPM6
Meeting ID: 668-4466-7997
Title: Millimeter-scale partitioning of nitrogen-cycling microbial activity across the soil-water interface and implications for N2O emissions
Abstract:
Soil-water interfaces (SWI) are ubiquitous in wetlands and important zones of biogeochemical processes. However, the spatial organization of microbial activity involved in nitrogen (N) cycling and N2O emissions remains poorly characterized. Here, we examined the distribution of N-cycling communities across the SWI at the millimeter (mm)-scale by characterizing their distribution and transcriptional activity coupled with process rate measurements. The effect of daylight was also evaluated to imitate real environmental change. Active N transformation dominated the first 10 mm layer of flooded soils. Notably, nosZ N2O-reducers were most active at the surface while N2O concentrations were greatest in deeper layers, indicating that the SWI can serve as a filter for the up-diffusing N2O. Differences were observed in the spatial distribution of N functional genes and transcript abundance, and as a response to light, indicating niche differentiation particularly in functional-equivalent cohorts. These findings demonstrate a long-neglected scale at which the N-cycling community activity can vary across the SWI and its role in controlling the flux of N2O emissions to the atmosphere.
]]>Time: 3:00-3:30pm
Location: ES 3F Common Room
Topic: enjoy the traditional German cake
The traditional German Christmas time cake brought by Bastian is called Stollen. It contains a lot of dried fruit, and the dough is made with yeast. The powdered sugar topping symbolizes the snow. So please come and have a try!
]]>
Date: 2024-02-29
Time: 13:30-14:00
Room: ES354
Online link:
https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/v169BGHYrPM6
Meeting ID: 668-4466-7997
Title: Assessing the effects of cropland abandonment on biodiversity and ecosystem services
Abstract:
Cropland abandonment presents a significant global challenge with implications for biodiversity conservation, food security, and carbon neutrality. Despite its prevalence, opinions diverge widely among scholars and policymakers on its impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. In this talk, I will present my previous research findings and outline my future plans for exploring this fascinating subject. To begin with, I will conduct a meta-analysis of existing scientific evidence to study the impacts of cropland abandonment on the richness and composition of various taxonomic groups, alongside crucial ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration. Based on globally shared biodiversity databases, such as BIOTIME, along with remote sensing data, I will investigate the dynamic changes in biodiversity before and after cropland abandonment on a global scale. Furthermore, by incorporating socio-economic data, we intend to evaluate synergies and tradeoffs between the ecological value of abandoned cropland, crop production, and economic value at the national scale. Finally, I will take field surveys focusing on bird species and soil organic carbon in a rural county located in northern China.
]]>
Date: 2024-02-29
Time: 13:00-13:30
Room: ES354
Online link:
https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/v169BGHYrPM6
Meeting ID: 668-4466-7997
Title: Integrating Biodiversity into Sustainable Urban Planning Using Open-Access Databases
Abstract:
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) highlights the significance of urban biodiversity and call for an integration of biodiversity into urban planning practices. The first step forward will be exploring the use of “best available” data of biodiversity in urban planning. Our study seeks to address this gap by promoting open-access datasets for biodiversity-inclusive urban planning. We will first conduct a comprehensive literature review on anthropogenic threats to urban birds and current planning strategies to counteract these threats; then, we'll showcase biodiversity data use in spatial planning examples from Suzhou, highlighting rooftop gardens as ecological steppingstones for urban birds considering their flying capacities, and spatial configuration optimizing of urban wetland restoration to realize multiple ecological benefits. Finally, we aim to develop a heuristic framework to facilitate the adoption of open-access biodiversity databases in urban planning.
]]>Serial name: Topic, Speaker, Date in yyyy-mm-dd
A ":" follows the serial name, and a "," separates other fields.
Currently, we have 4 serials. Here are some examples:
If there are multiple talks in one seminar, please either announce one talk in a single post or announce them in one post with the speaker name as "multiple speakers".
]]>
Bio Profile: Magdalena Lenda (researchgate.net)
Host: Prof. Johannes Knops
Date: 2024-01-16
Time: 03:00 - 04:00 pm
Room: ES354
Title: Strategies of research with minimal funding
Tencent ID: 916-696-308
]]>
Date: 2023-12-13
Time: 14:00-14:30 pm
Room: ES354
Online link:
https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/cHLE02oBtSPP
Meeting ID: 664-4757-0489
Title: High performance IPMC Actuator based on novel 2D electrical-conductive MOF composites
Abstract:
Existing ionic artificial muscles still require a technological breakthrough for much faster response speed, higher bending strain, and longer durability. Here, we report an artificial muscle based on ionically cross-linked Zn-CAT with poly(3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate), showing ultrafast rise time of within 1.5 s in DC responses, extremely large bending strain up to 1.22% in very low input voltage regime (0.1 to 3V), long-term cyclic stability of 97% up to 10,000 cycles, markedly reduced phase delay, and very broad frequency bandwidth up to 20 Hz with good structural reliability without delamination under continuous electrical stimuli. These successful demonstrations elucidate the wide potential of MXene-based soft actuators for the next-generation soft robotic devices, including wearable electronics and artificial muscles.
]]>