At the invitation of Professor WANG Shijie, Deputy Director of IGCAS and Director of SKLEG, LI Changsheng, Research Professor of University of New Hampshire and an internationally reputed scientist in biogeochemistry, visited IGCAS for academic exchange and research cooperation.

On the morning of December 17th, Professor LI Changsheng delivered a presentation titled “The Establishing and Applications of Biogeochemistry Model—from Keshan Disease to Global Change”. During his presentation, by talking about the research of Keshan Disease that he and his colleagues in IGCAS conducted in 1970s, Professor LI gave an extensive introduction to the establishment of the biogeochemistry model and its importance in verifying the cause of Keshan Disease. Then, sharing his research experience, Professor LI thoroughly described the basic biogeochemistry theory, the development of De-Nitrification De-Composition (DNDC) model, and the simulation results of the DNDC model in assessment of grain yield and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, Professor LI and the audience exchanged their views on the update of DNDC model and the application of DNDC model in Karst area.

After the presentation, Professor LI Changsheng had a discussion with the scientists of IGCAS on the various issues of mutual interests including applying biogeochemistry model to basic research and popularizing DNDC model in China.

Professor LI Changsheng is an internationally reputed expert in biogeochemistry. According to his website (http://www.eos.unh.edu/Faculty/Li), he was Associate Professor and Deputy Director of the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (1985-1987), and senior official of National Environmental Protection Agency of China (1988-1989). In 1992 he moved to the University of New Hampshire where he is now Research Professor in the Earth Systems Research Center within the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space.

The DNDC model developed by Professor LI has been extensively used for crop yields forecasting, soil carbon dynamics, and greenhouse gas emissions. DNDC model has been widely applied in the European Union member countries and the big agricultural countries such as China, India, and Thailand etc.

（By PENG Haijun and GUO Sheng）