Anthropogenic climate change and the associated disturbance regime shift is driving worldwide landscape reorganization with potentially large ecological and socioeconomic consequences. As an ecosystem ecologist interested in the interplay of natural systems and human societies, my research subjects encompass a wide variety of natural and human-modified ecosystems, spanning from tropic mangrove forest to the Arctic tundra ecosystem, and my research efforts span multiple spatial scales, ranging from individual plant to the entire landscape.

To better understand long-term ecosystem dynamics under multifaced impacts of climate change, I take advantage of various approaches in my research to (1) develop novel analysis tools for improve characterization of broad-scale ecosystem patterns, and to (2) quantitatively examine the complex linkage between ecosystem processes and changing climate. Specifically, I integrate process-based modeling, in-situ and remote sensing observations, paleoecological analysis, and field manipulative experiments to address a wide array of global change questions, including (1) threshold impacts of fire regime change on tundra carbon balance, (2) accelerated Arctic permafrost degradation associated with warming and burning, (3) intensified greenhouse gas cycling in mangrove forests invaded by marsh plants, and (4) more recently, coastal biomass loss induced by sea level driven landscape reorganization.

I am currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. I am always interested in teaching and mentoring students, and enjoy building collaborations beyond the department.