Fangyuan’s research aims to aid the conservation and restoration of forest biodiversity, particularly under the land-use demands of agricultural and forestry production. Research in her lab focuses on two broad themes: (1) understanding how the ecology of wild species and their assemblages responds to human alterations of forest ecosystems; (2) identifying practical conservation interventions by assessing the synergies and trade-offs of biodiversity with other important demands on land resources – including agricultural/timber production and ecosystem services. Examples of current research questions asked include: impacts of forest loss and degradation on avian assemblages (including elevationally and latitudinally migratory species) and predictors of such impacts; optimal land allocation among different forest management and restoration regimes to minimize the biodiversity cost of timber production; conservation and restoration potential of agricultural and forestry land abandonment. To address these questions, Fangyuan’s lab uses a combination of fieldwork, large-scale data synthesis, and remote sensing. For more information on Fangyuan and her lab, please visit www.conservationee.org.
