I am interested in the remote sensing of blue carbon ecosystems and climate change ecology. My postdoctoral research is dedicated to quantifying changes in mangrove forest coverage along with the dynamics of their carbon storage and fluxes. To achieve this, I utilize a combination of remote sensing, machine learning, and ecological modeling techniques.

 

I earned my PhD in Environmental Management from the College of Environment and Ecology at Xiamen University (2019-2023). My doctoral research centered on the development of remote sensing methodologies to map the large-scale dynamics of coastal wetlands. This work resulted in the production of high-resolution maps of coastal wetlands across China and the Sundarbans. Through analyzing data from MODIS satellite vegetation observations and climatic parameters, I demonstrated that carbon uptake in mangrove forests exhibits stronger temporal variability compared to terrestrial forests, especially in response to increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations and broader climate changes. This research highlights the unique responses of tidal versus inland ecosystems to climate change, emphasizing the distinct environmental challenges and management needs of coastal areas.

 

Publications (#co-first author)

Zhang, Z., Luo, X., Friess, D. A., Wang, S., Li, Y., & Li, Y. (2024). Stronger increases but greater variability in global mangrove productivity compared to that of adjacent terrestrial forests. Nature Ecology & Evolution 8, 239-250.

 

Fan, B., Li, Y.F., Zhang, Z., Yang, Y., & Li, Y (2024). Exploring cumulative vulnerability of mangrove forests to intensive coastal anthropogenic threats. Ecosystem Health and Sustainability 10, 0153.

 

Jiang, Y., Li, J., Zhang, Z., & Li, Y. (2024). Dynamics of coastal land-based aquaculture pond in China and Southeast Asia from 1990 to 2020. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 127, 103654.

 

Zhang, Q.#, Zhang, Z.#, Xu, N., Li, Y.F. (2023) Fully automatic training sample collection for detecting multi-decadal inland/seaward urban sprawl. Remote Sensing of Environment 298, 113801. 

 

Zhang, Z., Ahmed, M.R., Zhang, Q., Li, Y., Li, Y.F (2023). Monitoring of 35-year mangrove wetland change dynamics and agents in the Sundarbans using temporal consistency checking. Remote Sensing 15, 625.

 

Zhang, Z., Xu, N., Li, Y., & Li, Y.F (2022). Sub-continental-scale mapping of tidal wetland composition for East Asia: A novel algorithm integrating satellite tide-level and phenological features. Remote Sensing of Environment 269, 112799. 

 

Zhang, Z., Li, J., Li, Y., Liu, W., Chen, Y., Zhang, Y., & Li, Y.F. (2021). Spatially discontinuous relationships between salt marsh invasion and mangrove forest fragmentation. Forest Ecology and Management 499, 119611.

 

Tao, Y.#, Zhang, Z.#, Ou, W.X., Guo, J., & Pueppke, S.G. (2020). How does urban form influence PM2.5 concentrations: Insights from 350 different-sized cities in the rapidly urbanizing Yangtze River Delta region of China, 1998–2015. Cities 98, 102581.