Main work

• 2023 to present: Professor, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF)

• 2017-2023: Associate Professor, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF)

• 2010-2017: Assistant professor, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, CAF.

Key research projects

• Key nutrient processes in the formation of productivity in planted forests. 2023-2028. National Key Research and Development Project

• Key factors and driving mechanisms for the formation of home field effects of litter decomposition in major subtropical tree species, 2021-2024, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

• Reponses and regulation mechanism in soil-plant system of economic forest with surface vegetation in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, 2022-2026, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

• Structural and environmental effects of productivity formation in plantations, 2016-2020, National Key Research and Development Project.

• Application of techniques for measuring soil organic carbon in forests in the Three Gorges reservoir area. 2023-2025. Technology promotion projects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

• Driving mechanisms for the formation of litter home field effects. 2018-2020. National Nonprofit Institute Research Grant of the Chinese Academy of Forestry.

Awards & achievements

• Liang Xi Forestry Science and Technology Award 2nd prize, ranked 4th. 2016.

• Hubei Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award 1st prize, ranked 4th. 2015

Published articles & books

• Yafei Shen, LeiLei, Wenfa Xiao, Ruimei Cheng, Changfu Liu, Xiaoyu Liu, Hu Lin, Lixiong Zeng*. Soil microbial residue characteristics in Pinus massoniana lamb. Plantations. Environmental Research. 2023, 231:116081.

• Lixiong Zeng, Wenfa Xiao, Changfu Liu, Lei Lei*, Zunji Jian, Yafei Shen, Mai‑He Li. Effects of thinning and understorey removal on soil extracellular enzyme activity vary over time during forest recovery after treatment. Plant and Soil. 2023.

• Yanyan Ni, Wenfa Xiao, Jianfeng Liu, Zunji Jian, Maihe Li, Jin Xu, Lei Lei, Jianhua Zhu, qi li, Lixiong Zeng*, Paolo Cherubini. 2023. Radial growth-limate correlations of Pinus massoniana in natural and planted forest stands along a latitudinal gradient in subtropical central china. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 334:109422

• Lixiong Zeng, Changjian Zhou, Wei He, Lei Lei, Ben Wang, Mingjun Teng, Jin Wang, Zhaogui Yan, Pengcheng Wang, Wenfa Xiao*. 2023. Mixed-spencies plantation of pinus massonisna lamb. And quercus variablis Bl. And high nutrient incresase litter decomposition rate. Forests. 2023, 14(4): 708.

• Lei Lei, Wenfa Xiao, Lixiong Zeng*, Changfu Liu, Jianhua Zhu1, Mai-He Li. 2022. Phenological season-dependent temperature effects on soil respiration in a subtropical Pinus massoniana forest. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 323: 109086 .

• Zunji Jian, Lei Lei, Yanyan Ni, Jin Xu, Wenfa Xiao, Lixiong Zeng*. 2022. soil clay is key factor affecting soil phosphorus availability in the distribution area of Masson pine plantations across subtropical china. Ecological Indicators. 114:109482.

• Zunji Jian, Yanyan Ni, Lei Lei, Jin Xu, Wenfa Xiao, Lixiong Zeng*. 2022. Phosphorus is the key soil indicator controlling productivity in planted Masson pine forests across subtropical China. Science of The Total Environment. 822, 153525.

• Lei Lei, Wenfa Xiao, Lixiong Zeng*, Beat Frey, Zhilin Huang, Jianhua Zhu, Ruimei Cheng, Mai-He Li. 2021. Effects of thinning intensity and understory removal on soil microbial community in Pinus massoniana plantations of subtropical China. Applied Soil Ecology. 167: 104055.