At the annual meeting of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' field station, Vice President Shi Erwei honored ten young researchers with the 2013 CERN Young Outstanding Paper Award. These scientists are recognized for their outstanding contributions to resource and environmental research. According to Shi, many of the awardees have continued to excel in their careers, making significant impacts in their fields.
Zhang Weixin, an associate researcher at the South China Botanical Garden, was among those honored. Under the mentorship of Fu Shenglei, he collaborated with American scholars to uncover the mechanisms behind soil carbon sequestration. Their findings were published in *Nature Communications* and were highlighted as a key study.
Zhang has been deeply involved in ecological research for over a decade. His journey began in 2003 when he studied cockroaches and their interactions with aquatic ecosystems. He worked alongside entomologists from Guangdong’s Institute of Entomology and even contributed to the discovery and naming of seven new species. In 2007, he pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Georgia's Oldham Ecology Institute, where he explored invasive ecology under Professor Paul F. Hendrix.
Fu Shenglei's restoration ecology team focuses on understanding ecosystem degradation and developing methods for ecological restoration. Zhang’s work centers on earthworms, which play a crucial role in soil health. While the study of earthworms dates back to Darwin, modern research reveals complex interactions that go beyond simple assumptions.
One of the major debates in ecology is how soil organisms, including earthworms, respond to global changes. Some studies suggest that earthworm activity increases carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to climate change. However, other research shows that they also enhance soil fertility, creating a paradox: do earthworms help or harm the environment?
Zhang and his team discovered that stimulating carbon dioxide release and improving soil fertility are two sides of the same process. While earthworms may initially increase CO2 emissions, they also help stabilize carbon in the soil over time. This balance is critical for understanding their overall impact on carbon sequestration.
To quantify this, Zhang introduced the concept of the "carbon sequestration coefficient," measuring how earthworms affect both carbon mineralization and stability. His research highlights that while short-term CO2 emissions rise, long-term carbon storage benefits from the earthworms’ activities.
Despite the complexity, Zhang remains focused on objective analysis. He emphasizes that scientific conclusions should not be based solely on intuition but on rigorous data. His work continues to explore how earthworms influence soil carbon dynamics, with results now being tested in real-world environments.
The South China Botanical Garden's restoration ecology group is currently applying laboratory findings to field experiments, particularly at the Heshan Forest Ecosystem Research Station in Guangdong. Here, Zhang is observing how different soil organisms interact and contribute to carbon sequestration.
While Zhang admits he doesn’t particularly like animals, he acknowledges the importance of earthworms in maintaining healthy ecosystems. He is especially interested in a common mite species, *Quercus*, known for its strong carbon-holding capacity. Though not the most appealing creature, it plays a vital role in agricultural and forestry systems.
For Zhang, research and personal preferences are separate. He views earthworms as tools for scientific exploration, and the models developed can apply to other soil organisms as well. His work not only advances ecological science but also offers practical solutions for sustainable land management.
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