Abstract:

The biogeography research at Peking University commenced in the late 1950s with formation of a Plant Geography Group. It was expanded to the Teaching and Research Section of Landscape Ecology in the late 1980s and further grown into the Department of Ecology at the beginning of the 21st century. As a part of the Department of Geography (Now College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University), biogeographical and ecological research team of Peking University has greatly improved the research of vegetation structure, function and dynamics with efforts of more than half a century. It has made pioneering achievements on research about plant geography in arid and semiarid areas, timberline and other ecologically important areas. It is among the first institutions in the country to promote macro-ecology including landscape ecology and urban ecology. In recent years, the Peking University research team has carried out pioneering work on global change studies, including climate change and ecological response, carbon cycle, biodiversity conservation, plant stoichiometry, serving the country's policy of mitigating and adapting climate change and conserving biodiversity. Research facilities of Peking University biogeography and ecology team have renewed and built over the last years. The construction of observation facilities in Saihanba Ecological Station, the platforms of forest fertilization experiment, and timberline monitoring strongly enhance the ability of biogeographical and ecological studies. The National Natural Science Foundation Innovation Research Team "Structure and function of terrestrial vegetation in China" has played a role of research integration. In the future, the integration of different scales of ecological research will be strengthened and ecological degradation and restoration will be promoted.

Key words: Peking University, biogeography, ecology, retrospect, prospect