Researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have successfully completed a significant period of academic exchange and ecological fieldwork in Thailand, spanning from late June to mid-July.

The team of researchers, comprising Prof. Chen Jin, Yang Xiaodong, Lin Luxiang, and collaborators from the CAS Institute of Geochemistry, engaged in high-level discussions and critical field data collection.

During a visit to Kasetsart University (KU), the XTBG team met with vice president Dokrak Marod of KU and dean Prateep Duengkae of its Faculty of Forestry . Both institutions reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration, focusing on joint graduate training programs, enhanced academic exchanges, and future research projects.

XTBG researchers made field work at KU's Andaman Coastal Research Station in Ranong Province, situated within the ecologically significant Kra Isthmus. They visited the 20-ha Klong Naka tropical lowland rainforest dynamics plot established by XTBG and research facilities supported by the Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute (SEABRI).

The researchers conducted systematic field sampling of soil, soil microorganisms, and nematodes within the Kra Isthmus plot. They also performed near-ground LiDAR remote sensing surveys and completed seedling re-census work.

Up to now, XTBG has finished comprehensive survey of above- and below-ground biodiversity and environmental factors across eight 20-hectare forest dynamics plots located along the 101°E forest transect. These plots span a critical latitudinal gradient (14°N to 27°N) across the China-Southeast Asia Peninsula region. This foundational work paves the way for establishing an integrated ecological monitoring network stretching from northern to southern Thailand.

The exchange and research activities significantly solidified cooperation between XTBG and its Thai partners on scientific studies in biodiversity, community assembly, and nutrient cycling.

At Kasetsart University.

At 20-ha Klong Naka tropical lowland rainforest dynamics plot

Field work.

Field work.