Dr. Yaoqi Li is now an assistant professor at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. Her research locate in the field of functional biogeography, exploring geographic patterns, ecological determinants and ecosystem effects of plant functional traits, trait trade-offs and functional diversity. She currently works on the relationship of biodiversity with ecosystem functioning under climate change via functional traits. She obtained her PhD degree in Ecology at Peking University (PKU) in 2019 and then worked as a postdoc of PKU-IIASA international program.
Qualifications
Ph.D., Ecology, Peking University (PKU), 2014 – 2019
Bachelor, Ecology, China Agricultural University, 2010 – 2014
Experience
Assistant professor, Xi'an Jiaotong – Liverspool University, 2021 – Present
Postdoc research fellow, PKU-IIASA postdoctoral program, 2019 – 2021
Visiting scholar, University of Arizona, 2017 – 2018
Research interests
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning
Functional biogeography
Leaf traits
Articles
Li Y., Reich B.P., Schmid B., Shrestha N., Feng X., Lyu T., Maitner B.S., Xu X., Li Y., Zou D., Tan Z., Su X., Tang Z., Guo Q., Feng X., Enquist B.J., Wang Z.* (2020) Leaf size of woody dicots predicts ecosystem primary productivity [J]. Ecology Letters, 23: 1003-1013; doi: 10.1111/ele.13503.
Li Y., Wang Z.*, Xu X., Han W., Wang Q., Zou D. (2016) Leaf margin analysis of Chinese woody plants and the constraints on its application to palaeoclimatic reconstruction [J]. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 25: 1401-1415; doi: 10.1111/geb.12498.
Li Y. #, Zou D. #, Shrestha N., Xu X., Wang Q., Jia W. & Wang Z.* (2020) Spatiotemporal variation in leaf size and shape in response to climate [J]. Journal of Plant Ecology, 13: 87–96; doi: 10.1093/jpe/rtz053. (Editor’s Choice; #, contributed equally)
Wang Z.#,*, Li Y.#, Su X., Tao S., Feng X., Wang Q., Xu X., Liu Y., Michaletz S., Shrestha N., Enquist B. (2019) Patterns and ecological determinants of woody plant height in eastern Eurasia and its relation to primary productivity [J]. Journal of Plant Ecology, 12: 791–803; doi: 10.1093/jpe/rtz053. (Editor’s Choice)
Li Y., Wang Z.* (2023) Functional biogeography of plants: research progresses and challenges[J]. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 47: 1–26; doi: 10.17521/cjpe.2022.0245. (Chinese Review) [李耀琪，王志恒*。(2023) 植物功能生物地理学的研究进展与展望。植物生态学报，47：1–26; doi: 10.17521/cjpe.2022.0245。(综述)]
Li Y., Wang Z.* (2021) Leaf morphological traits: ecological function, geographic distribution and drivers [J]. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 45: 1154–1172; doi:10.17521/cjpe.2020.0405. (Chinese Review in Ecosystem Structure and Function Forum) [李耀琪，王志恒*。(2021) 植物叶片形态的生态功能、地理分布与成因。植物生态学报，45: 1154–1172; doi: 10.17521/cjpe.2020.0405。(生态系统结构与功能专辑，综述)]
Wang Q., Li Y., Zou D., Su X., Cai H., Luo A., Jiang K., Zhang X., Xu X., Shrestha N., Wang Z.* (2021) Phylogenetic niche conservatism and variations in species diversity-climate relationships [J]. Ecography, 44: 1856-1868; doi: 10.1111/ecog.05759.
Luo A., Xu X., Liu Y., Li Y., Su X., Li Y., Lyu T., Dimitrov D., Larjavaara M., Peng S., Wang Q., Zimmermann N., Pellissier L., Schmid B., Wang Z.* (2022) Spatiotemporal patterns in the woodiness of flowering plants [J]. Global Ecology and Biogeography; doi: 10.1111/geb.13627.
Peng S., Zhang J., Zhang X., Li Y., Liu Y., Wang Z.* (2021) Conservation of woody species in China under future global changes. Journal of Applied Ecology, 59: 141-152; doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.14037.
Feng X.*, Enquist B., Park D., Boyle B., Breshears D., Gallagher R., Lien A., Newman E., Burger J., Maitner B., Merow C., Li Y., Huynh K., Ernst K., Baldwin E., Foden W., Hannah L., Jørgensen P., Kraft N., Lovett J., Marquet P., McGill B., Morueta-Holme N., Neves D., Núñez-Regueiro M., Oliveira-Filho A., Peet E., Pillet M., Roehrdanz P., Sandel B., Serra-Diaz J., Šímová I., Svenning J.C., Violle C., Weitemier T., Wiser S., López-Hoffman L. (2021) A review of the heterogeneous landscape of biodiversity databases: Opportunities and challenges for a synthesized biodiversity knowledge base. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 31, 1242– 1260; doi: 10.1111/geb.13497. (Review)
Lyu T., Wang Y., Luo A., Li Y., Peng S., Cai H., Zeng H., Wang Z.* (2021) Effects of Climate, Plant Height, and Evolutionary Age on Geographical Patterns of Fruit Type [J]. Frontiers in Plant Science, 12, 604272; doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.604272.
Liu L., Xu X., Zhang L., Li Y., Shrestha N., Neves D., Wang Q., Chang H., Su X., Liu Y., Wu J., Dimitrov D., Wang Z., Liu Q.* (2021) Global patterns of species richness of the holarctic alpine herb Saxifraga: The role of temperature and habitat heterogeneity. Journal of Plant Ecology, 15: 237–252; doi: 10.1093/jpe/rtab085.
Peng S., Liu Y., Zhang X., Lyu T., Luo A., Li Y., Wang Z.* (2021) Latitudinal patterns in the impacts of climate warming on Chinese woody plants. Ecography, 44: 1797–1807; doi: 10.1111/ecog.05582.
Wang Y., Luo A., Lyu T., Dimitrov D., Xu X., Freckleton R.P., Li Y., Su X., Li Y., Liu Y., Sandanov D., Li Q., Liu S., Wang Z.* (2021) Global distribution and evolutionary transitions of angiosperm sexual systems [J]. Ecology Letters, 24:1835–1847; doi: 10.1111/ele.13815.
Thomson E., Spiegel M., Althuizen I., Bass P., Chen S., Chmurzynski A., Halbritter, A., Henn J., Jónsdóttir I., Klanderud K., Li Y., Maitner B., Michaletz S., Niittynen P., Roos R., Telford R., Enquist B., Vandvik V., Macias-Fauria M., Malhi Y.* (2021) Multiscale mapping of plant functional groups and plant traits in the High Arctic using field spectroscopy, UAV imagery and Sentinel-2A data [J]. Environmental Research Letter, 16, 055006; doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/abf464. (Special Issue Article)
Zu K., Wang Z*., Zhu X., Lenoir J., Shrestha N., Lyu T., Luo A., Li Y., Ji C., Peng S., Meng J., Zhou J. (2021) Upward shift and elevational range contractions of subtropical mountain plants in response to climate change [J]. Science of the Total Environment, 783, 146896; doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146896.
Wang Y., Lyu T., Shrestha N., Lyu L., Li Y., Schmid B., Freckleton R.P., Dimitrov D., Hao Z., Wang Z.* (2020) Drivers of large-scale geographical variation in sexual systems of woody plants [J]. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 29: 546–557; doi: 10.1111/geb.13052.
Wang Y., Lyu T., Luo A., Li Y., Liu Y., Freckleton R.P., Liu S., Wang Z.* (2020) Spatial Patterns and Drivers of Angiosperm Sexual Systems in China Differ Between Woody and Herbaceous Species [J]. Frontiers in Plant Science, 11, 1222; doi: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01222.
Liu Y., Su X., Shrestha N., Xu X., Wang S., Li Y., Wang Q., Sandanov D. & Wang Z.* (2018) Effects of contemporary environment and Quaternary climate change on drylands plant diversity differ between growth forms [J]. Ecography, 42: 334–345; doi: 10.1111/ecog.03698.
Wang Q., Punchi-Manage R., Lu Z.*, Franklin S., Wang Z., Li Y., Chi X., Bao D., Guo Y., Lu J., Xu Y., Qian X., Jiang M. (2016) Effects of topography on structuring species assemblages in a subtropical forest [J]. Journal of Plant Ecology, 10: 440–449; doi: 10.1093/jpe/rtw1047.
Shao C., Li Y., Luo A., Wang Z., Xi Z., Liu J., Xu X.* (2021) Relationship between functional traits and genome size variation of angiosperms with different life forms [J]. Biodiversity Science, 29: 575–585; doi: 10.17520/biods.2020450. [邵晨，李耀琪，罗奥，王志恒，席祯翔，刘建全，徐晓婷*。(2021) 不同生活型被子植物功能性状与基因组大小的关系。生物多样性，29：575–585; doi: 10.17520/biods.2020450.]
Xiong X., Cai H., Li Y., Ma W., Niu K., Chen D., Liu N., Su X., Jing H., Feng X., Zeng H.*, Wang Z.* Seasonal dynamics of leaf C, N and P stoichiometry in plants of typical steppe in Nei Mongol, China [J]. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 2020, 44: 1138–1153; doi: 10.17521/cjpe.2020.0105. [熊星烁，蔡宏宇，李耀琪，马文红，牛克昌，陈迪马，刘娜娜，苏香燕，景鹤影，冯晓娟，曾辉，王志恒。(2020) 内蒙古典型草原植物叶片碳氮磷化学计量特征的季节动态。植物生态学报，44: 1138–1153; doi: 10.17521/cjpe.2020.0105.]
Proceedings
Luo A.#, Li Y.#, Xu X., Su X., Li Y., Waris K., Lyu T., Tang Z., Liu X., Lin L., Shrestha N., Chen Y., Zu K., Song W., Peng S., Zimmermann N.E., Pellissier L., Wang Z.* (2023) Beyond species: global multi-faceted biodiversity patterns, centers, and conservation needs in flowering plants [J].
Meng J., Li Y., Feng Y., Hua F., Shen X., Li S., Shrestha N., Peng S., Rahbek C., Wang Z.* (2022) Vulnerability assessment of global terrestrial protected areas with a comprehensive framework [J]. Conservation Biology. (Resubmission)
Zhou J., Li Y., Lyu T., Yu H., Yu D., Wang Z.* (2022) Geographic patterns and environmental determinants of aquatic plant diversity in China [J]. Ecography. (Resubmission)
Conference presentations
2019/12, Annual Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the Moscone Center, San Francisco, USA; Presentation Title: “Leaf size of woody dicots predict ecosystem primary productivity”.
2018/08, Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America (ESA), the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, USA; Presentation Title: “Geographical patterns in leaf size and its implication”.
2018/07, 4th TraitTrain International Plant Functional Traits, the University Centre in Svalbard, Norway.
Grants
2022/01 – 2026/12, Participant, Theory and Method of the Ecological Planning of Urban and Rural Landscape with Locality for Livability (#52130804). From the State Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).
2020/01 – 2023/12, Participant, Mechanism of light response difference between upper and lower stomatal apertures in leaves (#31972937). From NSFC.
2018/05 – 2023/04, Participant, The response mechanism of Chinese vegetation phenology to global change and trend for future phenological shifts (#2018YFA0606104). From the Ministry of Science and Technology.
2017/07 – 2022/06, Participant, Impacts of global changes on woody plant diversity in the North Hemisphere (#2017YFA0605101). The National Key Research Development Program of China.
Professional service activities
As a reviewer for Ecology Letters, Oikos, Ecology and Evolution, and Journal of Plant Ecology.
Teaching activities
ENV313, Environmental Remediation and Rehabilitation (Field Class)
ENV115, General Laboratory Techniques and Experiments in Environmental Science
Courses taught
ENV113, Introduction of Ecology, Evolution and Earth System
ENV115, General Laboratory Techniques and Experiments in Environmental Science
ENV201, Research Design
ENV313, Environmental Remediation and Rehabilitation (Field Class)
Professional memberships
Ecological Society of America (ESA)
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
International Biogeography Society (IBS)
Awards and honours
2017 – 2018, Chancellor's Scholarship, Peking University (PKU)
2017 – 2018, State Scholarship of study abroad, Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC)
2016 – 2017, National Scholarship, Ministry of Education
2016 – 2017, Outstanding Student, PKU
2015 – 2016, Outstanding Civilized Backpacker, National Tourism Administration & China Youth Daily
2014/08, Scholarship for the Outstanding Youngers on Nature Protection, China Biodiversity Committee
2013 – 2014, Excellent Graduates & Excellent 100 Bachelor Thesis, China Agricultural University (CAU)
2012 – 2013, National Scholarship, Ministry of Education
