Xiangzhong Luo

We aim to answer the following questions at scales from leaf to the globe, from hours to decades – How much carbon do plants take up? How much water do plants need? How do different plants respond to climate change (e.g., rising temperature, water stress, CO2 fertilization)? How do we use knowledge on climate and ecology to mitigate climate change impacts?
 
Below are some of the key questions we answered:
 

Photosynthesis – Photosynthesis supports life on Earth and represents the largest carbon flux between the land and the atmosphere. We are interested in understanding the magnitude and variation of global photosynthesis in the context of climate change.

Sample studies:
1. How ecosystem photosynthesis responds to long-term light variation (Luo & Keenan, 2020, Nature Ecology & Evolution [Link])
2. Global leaf photosynthetic capacity (Luo et al. 2021. Nature Communications [Link])
3. Where are the plants that hold C4 photosynthesis pathway (Luo et al, 2024, Nature Communications [Link])

Vegetation dynamics – The interannual and seasonal changes in vegetation greenness determine the rhythm of the Earth’s metabolism. Greenness and growing season length vary according to various climate factors.

Sample studies:
1. How growing season in tropical drylands shifted in past 40 years (Tian, Luo, 2024, Global Change Biology [Link])
2. The strong changes in greenness and productivity of global mangroves (Zhang, Luo et al, 2023, Nature Ecology & Evolution [Link])
 

Terrestrial Carbon Cycle – In addition to photosynthesis, we are also interested in other carbon fluxes, such as the autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration of ecosystems, which are ultimately important in determining the net carbon sink.

Sample studies:
1. How to infer carbon use efficiency and autotrophic respiration from eddy covariance observations (Luo et al, 2025, Nature Ecology & Evolution [Link])
2. The sensitivity of ecosystem respiration to temperature inferred from atmospheric inversion (Sun, Luo et al, 2023, Nature Ecology & Evolution [Link])
 

Evapotranspiration – Evapotranspiration is a critical component of the global hydrological cycle and energy budget, and is undergoing significant changes due to anthropogenic climate and land use changes.

Sample studies:
1. The changes in global ET on a greening earth (Yang et al, (including Luo) 2023, Nature Review Earth & Environment [Link])
2. Improve the simulation of ecosystem ET by considering advanced radiative transfer scheme (Luo et al, 2018. Journal of Geophysical Research – Biogeoscience [Link])
 

Tropical Asia – Situated in tropical Asia (Southeast Asia), we are keen to explore the functions of local ecosystems and their recent changes.​

Sample studies:
1. The greenup of tropical Asia vegetation in dry seasons (Tian, Luo et al, 2025, Remote Sensing of Environment [Link])
2. The greenup of tropical Asia vegetation in a recent dry year – 2015/2016 El Nino  (Satriawan, Luo et al, 2024, Geophysical Research Letters [Link])
3. The role of tropical droughts in modulating the climate sensitivity of global carbon cycle (Luo et al, 2022, Nature Communications [Link])
 

Land use changes – Land use changes have substantially altered vegetation composition and ecosystem functions. Southeast Asia is also a global hotspot for land use change due to cropland expansion. We are increasingly interested in the interactions between land use change and ecosystems.

Sample studies:
1. The negative impacts of cropland expansion on vegetation greenness in insular Southeast Asia  (Zhao, Luo et al, 2024, Biogeosciences [Link])
2. The historical changes of oil palm yield in Southeast Asia (Syahid, Luo et al. 2025, Environmental Research Letters [Link])