My research interests are very broad and prior to the field of aquatic ecology. I focused on trophic interactions in food webs, which was also the theme of my thesis. During recent years my active research is focusing mainly on aquatic food web interactions, macroecological diversity, and assembly rules of species coexistence, applied issues of these ecological theory in aquatic ecosystems. Most of my studies have been carried out in Yangzi River basin and in Tibetan lakes, the third polar region in the world. All these researches are promoted by the theories of food web and food chain ecology, ecological stoichiometry, stable isotope ecology, community ecology and population ecology.

 

(1) Food web properties and species richness

In the floodplain lakes which are diversity hotspots, food web complexity is very high with prevalence of omnivory and human activity is intensively high. These systems allow the evaluation of the relationships between species richness and human disturbance and food web properties, e.g. trophic richness, evenness (complementary/redundancy), and divergence (specialization). In the high altitude lakes in Tibet, food web complexity is very low allowing tests of theoretical predictions, such as proximate and ultimate causes of food chain length, cannibalism, systematic evolution of trophic niches.

 

(2) Macroecological diversity of aquatic resources in China

Using national tertiary watershed as research units, we studied species diversity and functional diversity of aquatic animals, such as fish, mollusk, and macrophytes. We analyze alpha, beta (including species turnover and nestedness) and gamma diversity and the pattern determinants, including history, climate, environment and stochasticity to illustrate assembly rules, i.e. limiting similarity and niche filtering. We also ask whether diversity is related to species invasiveness and community invasibility and what ecological processes can be affected?

 

(3) Trophic niches of species

Trophic niche of species is a central characteristic of population and community ecology because of its strong influence on community and population structure and ecosystem function. While the population and individuals niches have been better measured and evaluated in the recent studies, such as niche partition, niche shift and niche specialization, much less progress has been made in the context of habitat heterogeneity and resource availability. We outline the potential process that determine variation in population and individual niche of coexisting omnivorous species and provide the mechanism for linking habitat diversity and changing environment of the interested ecosystem to variation in population and individuals’ niches.

 

(4) Applied issues of ecological theories

​We also work with more applied issues, such as ecosystem services and management in Lake Taihu, and urban lakes in City Wuhan, and effects of climate change on eutrophic aquatic ecosystems.

2015-present: Professor, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

2016: Research visiting, University of Florida, USA

2015: Research visiting, University of Florida, USA

2011-present: Group leader, Ecological Stoichiometry

2010-2012: Postdoc, Lund University, Sweden

2007-2015: Associate Professor, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

2005: Research Assistant, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

2005 Ph. D., Hydrobiology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

1996 B.S., Biology, College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University

2015-present: Professor, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

2016: Research visiting, University of Florida, USA

2015: Research visiting, University of Florida, USA

2011-present: Group leader, Ecological Stoichiometry

2010-2012: Postdoc, Lund University, Sweden

2007-2015: Associate Professor, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

2005: Research Assistant, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

2005 Ph. D., Hydrobiology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

1996 B.S., Biology, College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University

   

1.           Xu, J., et al., Optimal response to habitat linkage of local fish diversity and mean trophic level. Limnology and Oceanography, 2016. 10.1002/lno.10313.

2.           Xu, J., et al., Complimentary analysis of metacommunity nestedness and diversity partitioning highlights the need for a holistic conservation strategy for highland lake fish assemblages. Global Ecology and Conservation, 2015. 3(0): p. 288-296.

3.           Xu, J., et al., Contrasting energy pathways at the community-level as a consequence from regime shifts. Oecologia, 2014. DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2878-2.

4.           Xu, J. and M. Zhang, Primary consumers as bioindicator of nitrogen pollution in lake planktonic and benthic food webs. Ecological Indicators, 2012. 14: p. 189-196.

5.           Xu, J., et al., Seasonal trophic niche shift and cascading effect of a generalist predator fish. Plos One, 2012: p. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0049691.

6.           Xu, J., M. Zhang, and P. Xie, Sympatric variability of isotopic baselines influences modeling of fish trophic patterns. Limnology, 2011. 12: p. 107-115.

7.           Xu, J., et al., Preservation effects on stable isotope ratios and consequences for reconstruction of energetic pathways. Aquatic Ecology, 2011. 45: p. 483-492.

8.           Xu, J., et al., Isotopic turnover of a submersed macrophyte following transplant: the roles of growth and metabolism in eutrophic conditions. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2011. 25: p. 3267-3273.

9.           Xu, J., M. Zhang, and P. Xie, Stable isotope changes in freshwater shrimps (Exopalaemon modestus and Macrobrachium nipponensis): trophic pattern implications. Hydrobiologia, 2008. 605(1): p. 45-54.

10.         Xu, J., P. Xie, and J. Qin, Diel isotopic fluctuation in surface seston and its physiological and ecological implications. Annales de Limnologie - International Journal of Limnology, 2008. 44(3): p. 197-201.

11.          Xu, J., M. Zhang, and P. Xie, Trophic relationship between the parasitic isopod Ichthyoxenus japonensis and the fish Carassius auratus auratus as revealed by stable isotopes. Journal of Freshwater Ecology, 2007. 22(2): p. 333-338.

12.         Xu, J., M. Zhang, and P. Xie, Size-related shifts in reliance on benthic and pelagic food webs by lake anchovy. Ecoscience, 2007. 14(2): p. 170-177.

13.         Xu, J., M. Zhang, and P. Xie, Stable carbon isotope variations in surface bloom scum and subsurface seston among shallow eutrophic lakes. Harmful Algae, 2007. 6(5): p. 679-685.

14.         Xu, J., et al., Icefish (Salangidae) as an indicator of anthropogenic pollution in freshwater systems using nitrogen isotope analysis. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2007. 79(3): p. 323-326.

15.         Xu, J., et al., Variation in stable isotope signatures of seston and a zooplanktivorous fish in a eutrophic Chinese lake. Hydrobiologia, 2005. 541(1): p. 215-220.

16.         Xu, J., S. Li, and P. Xie, Differences in δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N of particulate organic matter from the deep oligotrophic Lake Fuxian connected with the shallow eutrophic Lake Xingyun, People's Republic of China. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2005. 74(2): p. 281-285.

17.         Xu, J. and P. Xie, Studies on the food web structure of Lake Donghu using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios. Journal of Freshwater Ecology, 2004. 19(4): p. 645-650.

已指导学生

张欢  硕士研究生  071004-水生生物学  

张培育  硕士研究生  085238-生物工程  

沙永翠  硕士研究生  071004-水生生物学  

苏国欢  硕士研究生  071004-水生生物学  

姚小燕  硕士研究生  071004-水生生物学  

王沈  硕士研究生  085238-生物工程  

现指导学生

何雨晗  硕士研究生  071004-水生生物学  

符鸿  博士研究生  071004-水生生物学  

赵康顺  博士研究生  071004-水生生物学