Prof. Fan Zexin headed up a 9-person group of researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) to have academic visit to Thailand from May 23-29. The visit mainly aimed to deepen cooperation in ecosystem and global change studies with researchers at Kasetsart University (KU), Mahidol University, and key field research stations.

XTBG researchers held a discussion with vice president Dokrak Marod and dean Prateep Duengkae of Kasetsart University. The two sides will cooperate in on enhancing joint postgraduate training, academic exchanges, and key collaborative projects. Both sides agreed to accelerate the implementation of the "Thailand-TreeNet" (a tree growth and drought monitoring network) and the "China-Thailand Carbon and Water Flux Observation Network." They also prioritized joint research on plant physiology and functional traits along the 101^oE longitude gradient.

XTBG reached cooperation agreement with Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies of Mahidol University o jointly develop the Thailand-TreeNet initiative.

The team made field tours to the Sakaerat Environmental Research Station (SERS) and the Andaman Coastal Research Station. They visited the carbon-water flux towers in dry dipterocarp forests and evergreen broad-leaved forests, as well as a 16-hectare forest dynamics plot. They selected specific tree species near two flux towers for growth monitoring. They planned to finish installing micro-weather stations and dendrometers by September 2025.

The team also identified mangrove and tropical rainforest sites at the Andaman station for tree growth and environmental monitoring.

This visit strengthened the foundation for long-term ecological monitoring and carbon cycle research cooperation between China and Thailand. 

At Kasetsart University

At Sakaerat Environmental Research Station