On May 19th, Professor Xu Zhihong, from Environmental Futures Research Institute of Griffith University visited Institute of Desertification Studies and communicated with local experts.

Professor Xu introduced the organizational structure and basics of Environmental Futures Research Institute, and discussed possible areas of future cooperation with the Director Lu Qi and Deputy Director Wu Bo of Institute of Desertification Studies. Then Professor Xu gave a report on “Critical Points in the Nonlinear Reponses of Tree Growth to Different Forest Ecological System (from subtropical to frigid areas)”. Professor Xu also had a heated discussion with young scholars in the Institute.

More than 30 researchers were present at the seminar.

Professor Xu also visited the National Key Laboratory of Forest Tree Genetic Breeding, Laboratory of Stable Isotope, Laboratory of Global Change and other facilities.

Xu Zhihong is professor of the Natural Science College in Griffith University, and head of the Environmental Futures Research Institute. She has published 258 articles and 2 books. She had also been a member of Australian Research Council (2008-2010) and member of the EAR Assessment Council. From 2006 she started to work as the chairperson of the Forest Soil Working Group under International Society of Soil Science and chief editor of Soils and Sediments.