Topic: Global Change and Droughts

Time: 15:30-17:00, May 24, 2024

Venue: S927, Mong Man Wai Technology Building, Tsinghua University

Speaker: Zhang Yao, Assistant Professor/Researcher

No Tencent Meeting

Zhang Yao, Assistant Professor and Researcher at the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences (CUES), Peking University, holds the distinction of being a scholar in the prestigious Boya Program at the university. Additionally, he is a recipient of the National Science Fund for Outstanding Young Scholars (Overseas) and leads a national key research and development project. His research endeavors are centered on the cutting-edge advancements in remote sensing technology and their applications within the realm of global change, with a keen focus on the responses and feedback mechanisms of terrestrial ecosystems to droughts in the context of global change, as well as vegetation dynamics in arid regions. As the first/corresponding author, he has contributed 23 publications to esteemed journals such as Nature Climate Change, Nature Ecology & Evolution, PNAS, and Remote Sensing of Environment, three of which are classified as ESI highly cited papers. His research has garnered over 8,000 citations on Google Scholar, consistently placing him among the top 2% of scientists globally. His work has garnered widespread coverage in prominent international science media outlets, including Science, EurekAlert!, and Science Daily, and has been cited as pivotal evidence in IPCC reports. Currently, Zhang serves on the editorial board of Science China Earth Sciences and the young scholar editorial board of Journal of Remote Sensing, and is a reviewer for over 30 prestigious international journals, including Nature and Nature Sustainability.

Title: Global Change and Droughts

The scarcity of water resources, both spatially and temporally, gives rise to the formation of arid regions and the occurrence of drought events. The intensification of the water cycle driven by global change exacerbates water scarcity, thereby exerting profound impacts on ecosystems. The intricate interplay between vegetation and soil water is a crucial aspect of this dynamic. On the one hand, drought leads to a decline in soil moisture, which subsequently restricts vegetation transpiration and photosynthesis through plant hydraulic processes. On the other hand, vegetation consumes soil water through transpiration, and unchecked vegetation growth can deplete soil moisture, thereby contributing to the onset of drought. Furthermore, the elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration modulates and alters the coupling relationship between vegetation and water in arid regions. In this report, I will delve into how remote sensing observations, coupled with statistical and process-based models, can enhance our comprehension of the intricate interactions between vegetation and water under the backdrop of global change. These insights will help improve our predictions of future drought events and their implications for terrestrial ecosystems.