Research Projects
LCA Analysis on Climate Smart (CS) Apple Orchard in a North American Background
- Built a Michigan-specific orchard scenario through Denitrification–Decomposition (DNDC) model with daily, high-resolution climate and soil inputs to produce a 20-year, high spatiotemporal field-emission model.
- Designed multiple CS scenarios (Precision Agriculture, Cover Crop, and PA+CC) and quantified their multi-impact environmental performance under local conditions.
- Integrated DNDC outputs into a process-based upstream/downstream LCA system using TRACI with regionalized characterization factors (GWP, acidification, eutrophication).
Life Cycle Assessment of Nutrient Recovery from Municipal Wastewater in Jiangsu
- Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method to measure and evaluate the potential environmental impacts of municipal wastewater treatment in China, utilizing professional LCA software (SimaPro, GaBi) for quantitative analysis.
- Applying Meta-analysis method on LCA studies involving municipal wastewater treatment. Using Zotero 7 for primitive paper collecting and NVivo 15 for paper filtering. Determined 29 available researches with 139 data points from 297 academic articles.
- Developed an automated data selection model within the lifecycle database, comparing different international LCA databases (Ecoinvent V 3.9.1, ELCD 2.0, CLCD, etc.) and LCIA models (ReCiPe 2016, CML 2016, IMPACT 2002+, etc.) to identify the most suitable LCA method.
- Co-authored published paper in the Blue-Green Systems and ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering journal.
The Effect of Agricultural Carbon Emission Reduction Policy in Anhui: Quasi-Natural Experimental Analysis
- Conducted qualitative analysis using NVivo 15. Traversed over 100+ domestic agricultural policies from the past 20 years and extracted national and provincial policies on agricultural carbon emission reduction (ACER) to establish stratified policy matrices.
- Constructed provincial ACER inventories. An innovative emission factor of straw reuse was proposed apart from 13 conventional ACE factors established based on Life Cycle Thinking, and annual trends in provincial level ACER were estimated.
- Developed propensity score matching and difference-in-differences models (PSM-DID Model) using STATA and R to analyze the effectiveness of ACER with cross-validation performed using the Pooled Ordinary Least Squares (Pooled-OLS) model.
Exploring Optimization Pathways for Carbon Neutrality in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Participated in 2022 ecological field investigation in Southwest Nanjing, detecting the land use change and current terrestrial plant types.
- Mapped and analyzed changes in land and vegetation types in Nanjing based on the time series data from 1995 to 2022, and employed emission factor methods to study the spatio-temporal characteristics of carbon sequestration intensity.
- Based on the research outcomes, proposed optimized policy recommendations. The results were ultimately presented at the Nanjing Carbon Peak Research Summit as a keynote report.
Function of Urban Green Space under Urban Inland Inundation
- Applied choice experiment methodology to elicit survey participants' preferences for ecosystem services provided by urban green spaces.
- Independently designed and developed bilingual questionnaires (Chinese and English) to evaluate public perceptions of urban green spaces' potential in mitigating urban flooding.
- Effectively collaborated with a diverse network of partners, including fellow researchers from DKU and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), teams responsible for survey distribution and collection, and interviewed community members.
Poaching Motives and Scenario-Based Modelling of Population Changes in Wild Abalone Populations in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Based on literature review, investigated the socio-economic drivers of poaching in South Africa.
- Developed predictive models for population recovery. Created a scenario-based model estimating the future recovery of wild abalone populations under different conservation strategies.
- Identified aquaculture and sustainable tourism as viable economic alternatives to reduce poaching in local communities. Emphasized the need for policy reforms to support these industries.
- Presented findings with policy recommendations. Delivered a comprehensive set of policy recommendations.