• Production and consumption of ecosystem services

• Impact assessment of ecological restoration program and technology

• Multifunctional land use

• 2000 - 2003, Ph.D., School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)

• ​1999 - 2000, M.A., School of Urban and Regional Development Planning, University of the Philippines

• 1997 - 1999, Diploma, School of Spatial Planning, Technical University of Dortmund, Germany

• 1985 - 1988, M.S., Department of Agronomy, Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University

• 1981 - 1985, B.S., Department of Agronomy, Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University

• Scientific Steering Committee Member of Global Land Project (GLP), 2011- 

• Chair of the Commission on Resource Ecology, China Society of Natural Resources, 2017- 

• Board Member of China Society of Natural Resources, 2009- 

• Board Member of China National Commission of Ecosystem Service Partnership (ESP), 2016- 

• Director of International Joint Research Center for Environment and Sustainable Development of Mongolian Plateau,2006- 

• Chinese Director of Chinese-German Center for Impact Assessment,2010-​

• 2003-2005, Part-time consultant: China-EU Environmental Management Cooperation Program (Lot 4: Institutional Development) for the establishment of sustainable development indicator systems in China. 

• 2011-2012, Part-time consultant: “Development of National Standards and Technical Support System for Watershed Eco-Compensation”, Asia Development Bank 

• 2013-2014, Part-time consultant: “Building a Framework for Regulation and Policy Support System for Eco-Compensation in Gansu”, Asia Development Bank

• 2013-2015, Part-time consultant: “Eco-Compensation Mechanism and Policy Framework Study for the Xiangjiang River Watershed of the Chang-Zhu-Tang City Cluster”, Asia Development Bank 

• 2016-2017, Part-time consultant: “Developing Gross Ecosystem Product Accounting for Eco-Compensation”, Asia Development Bank & National Development and Reform Commission of China

About 200 research papers and 11 books or book chapters have been published in recent years. Key publications include the followings:

1. Zhen, L. and Du, B. Z. 2017. Ecological footprint analysis based on changing food consumption in Guyuan, a poorly developed area of northwestern China. Sustainability, 9(8): 1323.

2. Zhen, L., Yan, H. M., Hu, Y. F., et al. 2017. Overview of Ecological Restoration Technologies and Evaluation Systems. Journal of Resources and Ecology, 8(4): 315-324.

3. Zhen, L., Li, F., Yan, H. M., et al. 2014. Herders’ willingness to accept versus the public sector’s willingness to pay for grassland restoration in the Xilingol League of Inner Mongolia, China. Environmental Research Letters, 9, 045003.

4. Zhen, L., Deng, X. Y., Wei, Y. J., et al. 2014. Future land use and food security scenarios for the Guyuan district of remote western China. iForest-Biogeosciences and Forestry, 7(7): 372-384.

5. Zhen, L. and Zhang, H. Y. 2011. Payment for ecosystem services in China: an overview. Living Reviews in Landscape Research, 5, 2.

6. Zhen, L., Li F., Huang, H. Q., et al. 2011. Households' willingness to reduce pollution threats in the Poyang Lake region, southern China.  Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 110: 15-22.

7. Zhen, L., Ochirbat, B., Lv, Y., et al. 2010. Comparing patterns of ecosystem service consumption and perceptions of range management between ethnic herders in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia. Environmental Research Letters, 5: 1-11.

8. Zhen, L., Cao, S., Cheng, S., et al. 2010. Arable land requirements based on food consumption patterns: Case study in rural Guyuan District, Western China. Ecological Economics, 69 (7): 1443-1453.

9. Zhen, L., Cao, S. Y., Wei, Y. J., et al. 2009. Comparison of sustainability issues in two sensitive areas of China. Environmental Science and Policy, 12(8): 1153-1167.

10. Zhen, L., Zoebisch, M. 2006. Resource Use and Agricultural Sustainability: Risks and Consequences of Intensive Cropping in China. Kassel University Press, Germany. ISSN: 1613-8422.

• National Key Research and Development Program of China: Methods and indicator systems for assessing ecological restoration technology, and evaluation of ecological technologies from around the world (2016-2020).

• National Basic Research Program (973): Ecosystem service and function and ecological security of terrestrial ecosystems in China (2009-2013)

• National Basic Research Program (973): Impact of human activity on cultural ecosystem service in arid and semi-arid regions of China (2014-2018)

• National Scientific Support Program of China: Decision support system on payment for ecosystem services in ecological vulnerable regions of China (2006-2009)

• National Science Foundation of China：Consumption of ecosystem services in grassland transects of Xilingol in Inner Mongolia (2017-2020)

• Key project of Knowledge Innovation Program of CAS: Consumption of ecosystem services and environment consequence in grassland gradient of Inner Mongolia (2010-2013)

• Special funds of Ministry of science and Technology of China and EU: Development of spatial decision support system of land use functions in China (2010-2012)

• Program of Asia Pacific Network on Global Change Research (APN): Assessing land use functions for sustainable land management (2016-2018)