Post provided by Xiao Huang

This post is also provided in Chinese.

On September 24, 2024, the first “Seminar on Methods in Ecology and Evolution in China” was held at the Longzi Lake Campus of Henan Agricultural University. Organized in conjunction with the 15th Chinese Symposium on Biodiversity Science and Conservation, the event was chaired by Professor Huijie Qiao from the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and featured participation from notable experts, including Natalie Cooper (Senior editor of Methods in Ecology and Evolution) and Hanhua Qu, Juyu Lian, Jiangshan Lai, Xingfeng Si, Chunlong Liu and Wubing Xu.

The seminar highlighted cutting-edge research on ecological and evolutionary methodologies, with oral presentations delivered by researchers from various institutions across China. These presentations were evaluated by attending experts, culminating in the announcement of the inaugural “Outstanding Young Scholar Award in Ecological and Evolutionary Methodology in China”, which is co-sponsored by Methods in Ecology and Evolution and Biodiversity Committee of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Dr. Natalie Cooper and Dr. Jiangshan Lai presented the awards to the recipients, encouraging them to continue their innovation and exploration in the field of ecological and evolutionary biology methodologies. The award recipients were:

• Dr. Jin Liu (刘金), Peking University: “Discovering temporal niche competition of migratory species by individual-based modelling”
• Dr. Yu Ren (任淯), Peking University: “Discovering and measuring giant trees through the integration of multi-platform lidar data”
• Dr. Yi Zou (邹怡), Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University: “rarestR: an R package using rarefaction metrics to estimate α- and β-diversity for incomplete samples”
• Xiao Huang (黄猇), Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences: “Plasticine models may not reflect real biotic interactions: biases of human-centred experimental designs.”

In addition to the research presentations, Dr. Natalie Cooper introduced the British Ecological Society (BES) journals, offering practical advice on achieving successful academic publishing. Yurong Zhou, Director of the Documentation Centre at the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences shared valuable insights on data transparency and open science practices, emphasizing their critical role in advancing ecological research and fostering data sharing. The seminar aimed to foster opportunities for academic communication and collaboration on ecological and evolutionary methodologies. Dr. Huijie Qiao expressed optimism about the seminar’s future, envisioning it as a recurring event that will continue to attract scholars and drive further progress in this critical area of ecology.