General

Zhou Fang, Associate Researcher

My research focuses primarily on ecological conservation and sustainable development. I have served as principal investigator on 6 national and provincial-level grants and participated in over 20 grant projects. As first author (or co-first author) and corresponding author (or co-corresponding author), I have published a total of 17 SCI and SSCI papers, and as a contributing author, I have co-authored 39 additional papers. I specialize in using natural science and technology—including remote sensing, geographic analysis, and statistics—to quantitatively analyze the fundamental patterns of biodiversity and changes in ecological environment quality, and further apply these findings to policy support for protected area optimization and resource management. My current research focuses on the ecological security patterns of transboundary regions in Southwest China, ecosystem resilience prediction and early warning, and the behavioral patterns and spatial drivers of Asian elephants.

Research Areas

Biodiversity conservation; optimization of protected-area systems; systematic conservation planning; ecological security patterns; ecosystem resilience; climate change and human activities; ecosystem services; urban sustainable development

Education

● 2014–2023

Doctor of Business Administration (Integrated Master’s and Ph.D. Program)

Management Science and Engineering, Hohai University

Advisor: Professor Wang Huimin

● 2010–2014

Bachelor of Business Administration

Business Administration, School of Business, Hohai University

Experience

   
Work Experience

March 2026–present

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Associate Researcher


November 2023–March 2026

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Postdoctoral Researcher; Special Research Assistant (Project-based Appointment)

Publications

   
Papers

(1) Satisfying multidimensional human well-being efficiently and equitably through dynamic urban planning, NPJ URBAN SUSTAINABILITY, 2025, 2nd author

(2) Translating planetary boundaries into city systems: Ecosystem services as metrics for safe and just production–consumption space, SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION, 2025, 2nd author, corresponding author

(3) Unveiling driving disparities between satisfaction and equity of ecosystem services in urbanized areas, RESOURCES ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY, 2024, 1st author

(4) Ensuring China's food security in a geographical shift of its grain production: Driving factors, threats, and solutions, RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING, 2024, 2nd author, corresponding author

(5) Nature's hand in megacity cluster progress: Integrating SDG11 with ecosystem service dynamics, SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY, 2024, 2nd author, corresponding author

(6) The next step for China's national park management: Integrating ecosystem services into space boundary delimitation, JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, 2023, 2nd author

(7) A comprehensive framework for detecting economic growth expenses under ecological economics principles in China, SUSTAINABLE HORIZONS, 2022, 1st author

(8) Framework for a more balanced consideration of hydropower development through ecosystem services assessment, SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION, 2022, 1st author

(9) Integrating river health into the supply and demand management framework for river basin ecosystem services, SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION, 2022, third author, corresponding author

(10) Ecological redlines provide a mechanism to maximize conservation gains in Mainland Southeast Asia, ONE EARTH, 2021, second author

Research Projects

(1) Research on the Multidimensional Resilience Evolution Mechanisms and Intelligent Management Strategies of Cross-Border Regional Ecosystems in Yunnan, Principal Investigator, January 2026–December 2030

(2) Research on the Evolution and Conservation of the Biocultural Diversity System in the Xishuangbanna Biosphere Reserve, Participant, January 2026–December 2026

(3) Study on the Dynamic Performance and Layout Optimization of Protected Areas in Light of Spatial Competition Risks, Principal Investigator, January 2025–December 2027

(4) Dynamic Simulation of Species Distribution Patterns and Optimization of Protected Area Networks Using Artificial Intelligence, Participant, January 2025–December 2028

(5) Center for Southeast Asian Biodiversity, Chinese Academy of Sciences—Subproject 1: Biodiversity Conservation and Collection of Strategic Resources in the Indochinese Peninsula, Participant, January 2025–December 2027