The seminar was co-sponsored and chaired by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the United States National Science Foundation (NSF), and our institute held the seminar. 50 representatives from the United States National Science Foundation, Beijing Office of the United States National Science Foundation, the Science and Technology Department of the United States Embassy in China, University of California, University of Mainz in Germany, the International Cooperation Bureau of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Xinjiang University, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Shihezi University attended the seminar.

　　The seminar focused on the impacts of global change on ecological environment in Xinjiang and  Central Asia; The participants  discussed how China and the United States to implement the comparative study on the ecosystem structure and function in arid areas, as well as how to strengthen the application and development of the follow-up cooperation projects of common interest between China and the United States. After the seminar, participants of the National Science Foundation of the United States went to Kuerle to explore the artificial ecological restoration project of the Tarim River Basin, and the sand control ecological engineering project in Tarim and part of our field research stations.