Introduction

The Laboratory was planned in 1998 and established in 1999. In 2006, the Laboratory entered into the key laboratory construction planning lists of the CAS, and in 2008, it was authorized to establish as one of the key laboratories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and then in 2011 as one of the national key laboratory of China.

The Laboratory has studied ecological effects of exploitation of water, soil and biological resources, ecological security and ecosystem sustainability. Based on national demand and with an international scientific orientation, the Laboratory has reported on key basic science issues relating to the sustainability of three ecosystem types (namely mountain, oasis and desert) and important ecological issues arising from regional economic development and society. Finally, the Laboratory has proposed measures for sustainable utilization of water and soil resources in arid areas under global climate change to inform and direct construction and economic and social development that will be ecologically sustainable.

Research Fields

(1) Hydrology, water resources and eco-hydrology process in arid areas

(2) Oasis ecological processes and sustainability

(3) Desert ecosystems stability, desert-oasis ecotone interactions

(4) Investigation and integration of techniques for improving oasis productivity that will guarantee ecological security

Field investigation in the lower reaches of the Tarim River

Professor Li is teaching some students how to do experiment

Significant Projects

(1) Saline and alkaline soils carbon process and global change in arid areas (supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973), 26.34 million yuan, 2009-2013)

(2) Development of integrated renovation techniques for typical desert ecosystems in arid areas, Xinjiang (supported by the Technology Support Program of the National Eleventh-five-year Plan, 39.45 million yuan, 2007-2010)

(3) Water resources utilization and integrated management demonstration in the Tarim River Basin (supported by the Western Action Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 9 million yuan, 2007-2010)

(4) Biogeography (supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China for Outstanding Youth, 2 million yuan, 2008-2011)

(5) The research and demonstration of the key techniques for general management of the pollution of farmland fertilizer in arid and semiarid areas (supported by the National Technology Support Program, 2.98 million yuan, 2008-2010)

Major Accomplishments

(1) Second-grade National Technological Advancement Award: techniques for oasis agriculture and comprehensive ecological treatment in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River (2 CHEN Yaning, 3 TIAN Changyan, 6 CHEN Xi, 9 LI Weihong, 2008 )

(2) Second-grade National Technological Advancement Award: ecological techniques for controlling Aphids in Xinjiang (2 TIAN Changyan, 2007)

(3) Second-grade National Technological Advancement Award: technology for integrated ecological security using remote sensing investigation with information systems and their applications (1 CHEN Xi, 7 BAO Anming, 2006)

(4) Second-grade National Technological Advancement Award: the general development and demonstration of new oasis construction in Kelamayi region (1 CHEN Yaning, 2005)

(5) First-grade Xinjiang Technological Advancement Award: response and adaption of native vegetation on a representative temperate desert zone to environment changes (1 LI Yan, 2 ZHAO Chengyi, 3 ZHOU Hongfei, 6 XU Hao, 7 WANG Yugang, 8 LI Jun, 9 TANG Lisong, 10 XU Guiqing, 2009)

Personnel

There are 52 research staffs in the Laboratory, including 20 professors, 20 associate professors and 8 scientists of the Hundred Talents Program.

There are currently 156 postgraduate students in the Laboratory, including 44 PhD candidates and 112 MSc candidates.

Contact

Director: Prof. CHEN Yaning

Tel: +86-991-7823169

E-mail: chenyn@ ms.xjb.ac.cn

Secretary: Dr. YE Zhaoxia

Tel: +86-991-7823172

E-mail: yezx@ms.xjb.ac.cn