Main work

Based on the National Observation and Research Station of the Rocky Desertication Ecosystem in Guizhou, Puding. Prof. Li Sheng focuses on long-term research about the mechanisms of ecosystem degradation and restoration, regional soil and water nutrient heterogeneity and its impact on vegetation restoration, regional vegetation dynamic succession laws, and vegetation adaptation mechanisms in karst ecologically fragile areas in southwestern China. Conduct applied research on species selection and model configuration for vegetation restoration in degraded ecosystems. More than 20 scientific and technological projects have been presided over, including the National Natural Science Foundation and national key research and development subprojects. More than 30 articles and 1 monograph have been published. 2 national invention patents have been authorized. 2 forestry standards have been formulated, 5 doctoral and master's students have graduated. And 1 prize of Liang Xi Forestry Science and Technology Progress Award has been won. Providing strong scientific and   technological support for the construction of ecological civilization and ecological governance of rocky desertification in karst areas.

Key research projects

• Research on the screening of stress resistant energy plants and the evaluation technology of bioenergy forest quality in rocky desertification areas. 2016-2021

• Soil circumstances heterogeneous response to bare rock and influence to vegetations restoration in typical Karst rocky desertification area. 2015-2018

• Technical regulations for vegetation restoration in karst rocky desertification areas. 2017-2018

Awards & achievements

• Research and application demonstration of artificial vegetation restoration technology in karst rocky desertification mountainous areas. Liang Xi Forestry Science and Technology Progress Award.

Published articles & books

• Wen Pan, Xiaoyu Wang, Yan Sun, Jia Wang, Yanjie Li*, Sheng Li*. 2023. Karst vegetation coverage detection using UAV multispectral vegetation indices and machine learning algorithm. Plant Methods. 19:7. Doi: 10.1186/s13007-023-00982-7.

• Wang J, Wang XY, Pan W, Li JY, Xue L, Li S*. 2022. Seed germination traits and dormancy classification of 27 species from a degraded karst mountain in central Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau:   seed mass and moisture content correlate with germination capacity. Plant biology. 24: 1043–1056.

• Liang Xue, Huadong Ren, Timothy J. Brodribb, Jia Wang, Xiaohua Yao, Sheng Li*. 2020. Long term effect of management practice intensification on soil microbial community structure and co-occurrence network in a non-timber forest plantation. Forest Ecology and Management. 459,117805. DOI:10.1016/j.foreco.2019.117805

• Xiuhui Leng, Liang Xue, Jia Wang, Sheng Li*, Zhiling Yang, Huadong Ren, XiaohuaYao, Zeyu Wu, Jinyao Li. 2020. Physiological Responses of Handeliodendronbodinieri (Levl.) Rehd. To Exogenous Calcium Supply under Drought Stress. Forests. 11:69. doi: 10.3390/f11010069

• Liang Xue, Huadong Ren, Wei Long , Xiuhui Leng , Jia Wang, Xiaohua Yao, Sheng Li*. 2018. Ecophysiological Responses of Calcicole Cyclobalanopsis glauca (Thunb.) Oerst. to Drought Stress and Calcium Supply. Forests. 9: 667; doi:10.3390/f9110667

Other results   

• A method for rapid restoration of vegetation in rocky desertification red bare soil. Invention patent, ZL201710387477.3. 2020