General

Zunyi Xie Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Email: zunyixie@iga.ac.cn

Mailing Address: No. 4888 Shengbei North Street, High-tech North Zone, Changchun

Postal Code: 130102

Research Areas

Research interest

Remote Sensing Big Data for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development

Admissions Information

Majors Available

070503 - Cartography and Geographic Information System

Research Directions

Spatio-temporal Analysis of Big Data

Large-scale Eco-hydrology via Remote Sensing

Artificial Intelligence and Biodiversity Conservation

Education

2012-09 -- 2016-09 University of Technology Sydney

Ph.D. in Remote Sensing

2009-09 -- 2012-07 Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences

M.Sc. in Remote Sensing

2005-09 -- 2009-07 Harbin Normal University

B.Sc. in Geographical Information System

Experience

   
Work Experience

2026-06 ~ Present, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research Professor

2021-06 ~ 2026-05, Henan University, Professor

2017-09 ~ 2021-06, The University of Queensland, Postdoctoral Research Fellow

2016-09 ~ 2017-09, Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, Government of New South Wales, Remote Sensing Analyst

Academic Services

2025-01-01 ~ Present, Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, The University of Queensland, Affiliated Professor

2022-05-01 ~ Present, The University of Queensland, Australia, Honorary Research Fellow

2022-01-01 ~ Present, AGU Earth and Space Science, Editor

2021-12-01 ~ Present, Chinese Geographical Science, Editorial Board Member

2020-09-01 ~ Present, Remote Sensing, Editorial Board Member

Publications

   
Papers

1. Xie, Zunyi, Game, Edward, Hobbs, Richard, Pannell, David, Phinn, Stuart, McDonald-Madden, Eve. Conservation opportunities on uncontested lands, Nature Sustainability, 2020, 3(1): 9-15 (Cover Image, highlighted by Nature)

2. Xie, Zunyi, Zhao, Yan, Jiang, Ruizhu, Zhang, Miao, Hammer, Graeme, Chapman, Scott, Brider, Jason, Potgieter, Andries. Seasonal dynamics of fallow and cropping lands in the broadacre cropping region of Australia, Remote Sensing of Environment, 2024, 305:114070

3. Xie, Zunyi, Huete, Alfredo, Cleverly, James, Stuart Phinn, Eve McDonald-Madden, Cao, Yanping, Qin, Fen. Multi-climate mode interactions drive hydrological and vegetation responses to hydroclimatic extremes in Australia, Remote Sensing of Environment, 2019, 231: 111270

4. Xie, Zunyi*, Phinn, Stuart, Game, Edward, Pannell, David, Hobbs, Richard, Briggs, Peter, McDonald-Madden, Eve. Using Landsat observations (1988–2017) and Google Earth Engine to detect vegetation cover changes in rangelands - A first step towards identifying degraded lands for conservation, Remote Sensing of Environment, 2019, 232: 111317

5. Xie, Zunyi, Huete, Alfredo, Restrepo-Coupe, Natalia, Ma, Xuanlong, Devadas, Rakhesh, Caprarelli, Graziella. Spatial partitioning and temporal evolution of Australia's total water storage under extreme hydroclimatic impacts, Remote Sensing of Environment, 2016, 183: 43-52

6. Mao, Yongjing, Harris, Daniel, Xie, Zunyi*, Phinn, Stuart. Global Coastal Geomorphology - Integrating Earth Observation and Geospatial Data. Global Coastal Geomorphology - Integrating Earth Observation and Geospatial Data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 2022, 278, 113082

7. O’Bryan, Christopher, Xie, Zunyi*, Li, Hongli, Buechley, Evan, Allan, James, and Buij, Ralph. Rapid global deforestation leaves forest-dependent raptors with half of their suitable habitat remaining. Global Change Biology, 2025, 31, 11, e70603

8. Xie, Zunyi*, Game, Edward, Phinn, Suart, Adams, Matthew, Bayarjargal, Yunden, Pannell, David, Purevbaatar, Ganbold, Baldangombo, Batkhuyag, Hobbs, Richard, Yao, Jing, McDonald-Madden, Eve. A scalable big data approach for remotely tracking rangeland conditions. Communications Earth & Environment, 2024, 5, 1-5

9. Li, Jianguo, Xie, Zunyi*, Mao, Dehua, Long, Ruijun, Liu, An, Yu, Qiang, Wang, Zongming, Yang, Xin, Zhong, Chongliang, Solomon, Madden, and Ramp, Daniel. Mapping Shallow Groundwater Solute Footprints in Arid Regions Using a Hydrologically Enhanced Species Distribution Model, Water Resources Research, 2025, 61, e2024WR037753.

10. Li, Jianguo, Xie, Zunyi*, Qiu, Xiaocong, Yu, Qiang, Bu, Jianwei,Sun, Ziyong, Long, Ruijun, Brandis, Kate, He, Jie, Feng, Qi, Ramp, Daniel. Heavy metal habitat: a novel framework for mapping heavy metal contamination over large-scale catchment with a species distribution model. Water Research, 2022, 226,119310

11. Ding, Na, Xie, Zunyi*,Wang Xiaoming,…,Eve Mcdonald-madden. Freshwater biodiversity impacts of global hydropower dams. Communications Earth & Environment, 2026

12. Xie, Zunyi, Huete, Alfredo, Ma, Xuanlong, Restrepo-Coupe, Natalia, Devadas, Rakhesh, Clarke, Kenneth, Lewis, Megan. Landsat and GRACE observations of arid wetland dynamics in a dryland

river system under multi-decadal hydroclimatic extremes, Journal of Hydrology, 2016, 543: 818-831

13. Cao,yanping, Xie, Zunyi*, Woodgate, William, Ma, Xuanlong, Cleverly, Jamie, Pang, yingjun, Qin, Fen, Huete, Alfredo. Ecohydrological decoupling of water storage and vegetation attributed to China’s large-scale ecological restoration programs. Journal of Hydrology, 2022, 615,128651

14. Zheng, Kang, Yu, Minmin, Liu, Zhifei, Bao, Shuai, Pan, Ziwu, Song, Yongze, Zhu, Lianqi, & Xie, Zunyi* (2025). Frequency and Prompt Learning Cooperation Enhanced Mamba for Remote Sensing Semantic Segmentation. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, 1-16

15. Xie, Zunyi, ShangGuan, Donghui, Zhang, Shiqiang, Ding, Yongjian, Liu, Shiyin (2013). Index for hazard of Glacier Lake Outburst flood of Lake Merzbacher by satellite-based monitoring of lake area and ice cover. Global and Planetary Change, 2013, 107, 229-237

16. Mao, Yongjing, Harris, Daniel, Xie, Zunyi*, Phinn, Stuart. Efficient measurement of large-scale decadal shoreline change with increased accuracy in tide-dominated coastal environments with Google Earth Engine. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 2021, 181, 385-399

17. Xia, Fan, Guo, Hui, Wang, Yu, Yan, Dengming, Yang, Chen, Wan, Fang, Yang, Libin, Cao, Xiaoqing, & Xie, Zunyi (2025). Spatial equilibrium of water and land resources under water constraints: Historical and future modes in Henan Province, Yellow River Basin. Journal of Hydrology, 663

18. Deng,Xianyi, Yu, Wenping, Shi, Jinan, Huang, Yajun, Li, Dandan, He, Xuanwei, Zhou, Wei, & Xie, Zunyi (2024). Characteristics of surface urban heat islands in global cities of different scales: Trends and drivers. Sustainable Cities and Society, 107, 105483

19. Zhang, Xun, Xu, Min, Wang, Shujian, Huang, Yongkai & Xie, Zunyi (2022). Mapping photovoltaic power plants in China using Landsat, random forest, and Google Earth Engine. Earth System Science Data 14, 3743-3755

20. Runting, Rebecca, Phinn, Stuart, Xie, Zunyi, Venter, Oscar, Watson, James. Opportunities for big data in conservation and sustainability. Nature Communications,2020, 11, 2003

21. Wang, Yang, Yang, Yuanjian, Yuan, Qiangqiang, Li, Tongwen, Zhou, Yi, Zong, Lian, Wang, Mengya, Xie, Zunyi,…., Zhang, Liangpei. Substantially underestimated global health risks of current ozone pollution. Nature Communications, 2024, 16, 102


Research Activities

   
Research Projects

(1) Leading Talents for Basic Research in Central Plains of Henan Province, Principal Investigator, Local Project, 2025-01 -- 2027-12

(2) Sub-project of National Key R&D Program: Investigation & Evaluation Technology of Natural and Ecological Resource Elements for Characteristic Agricultural Product Producing Areas and Industrial Potential Assessment, Principal Investigator, National Project, 2024-12 -- 2027-01

(3) Overseas Talent Recruitment Grant of the Ministry of Education, Principal Investigator, National Project, 2024-01 -- 2026-12

(4) General Program of NSFC: Quantitative Assessment of Fallow Policy Effectiveness and Its Influence Mechanism on Groundwater in the Depression Cone Area of the North China Plain, Principal Investigator, National Project, 2024-01 -- 2027-12

(5) Young Top-notch Talent Program (Organized by the Central Organization Department), Principal Investigator, National Project, 2024-01 -- 2026-12