The Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems & Watershed Ecohydrology was founded in 2015. The Key Lab’s research centers on solutions for ecological and environmental issues across degraded ecosystems in Jiangxi Province by considering Mountain-River-Lake as a dialectical unity, based on the policy of upgrading development and eco-friendly rise. Our role is to provide the theoretical and practical insights around three broad themes: (1) Soil Degradation and Ecological Restoration, (2) Ecohydrology and Watershed Management, and (3) Global Change and Ecosystem Responses. The Key Lab aims to become the leading base with a strong reputation for exchanging academic ideas, fostering talents, conducting innovative science and delivering research outcomes, eventually to bring excellence to decision-making for the development of ecology and environment in Jiangxi Province.
At present, there are 28 members in the lab, with an average age of 40 years old, including one leading talent of Ganpo Excellence 555 Project and one fostering talent of Jiangxi Young Scientist. Among them, 64% possess doctorate degrees and 75% have held full or associate professorships. To date, eleven members have already had over 1 year overseas-exchange experience in USA, Canada and Australia. Currently, the Key Lab has tight collaborations with University of British Columbia, Clemson University, South China Botanical Garden and Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS. With the advantage of the South China Soil and Water Conservation Research Association hosted by our university, we have organized or co-organized plenty of international and national conferences, such as the International Youth Forum on Soil and Water Conservation (2015), the Annual Meeting of Ecological Society of China (2013) and the Annual Meeting of South China Soil and Water Conservation Research Association (2012, 2014). Additionally, lab members have attended international and national conferences for more than 80 times, among which 15 conferences were held in USA and Canada. Owing to the tight collaborations with other institutions and the exchange of research ideas, our lab members have broadened the scope of research and strengthened the impact and quality of research outcomes.
Over the past 5 years, the Key Lab has been awarded about 100 research grants, including 21 grants funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2 public welfare grants funded by the Ministry of Water Resources of China and over 50 grants at the provincial level, with a funding total of 20 million RMB. The lab members have published 130 papers, 7 monographs/text books and obtained 7 patents. In particular, 30 papers were published in SCI or EI indexed journals, including leading journals with high impacts such as Global Change Biology, Plant Cell & Environment, Functional Ecology, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Tree Physiology, Plant and Soil, Hydrology and Earth System Science, Hydrological Processes and Ecohydrology.
