Postdoc Report
Linking species
diversity, stand structure, and aboveground biomass along climate and soils
gradients in tropical forests of Hainan Island, Southern China
PhD (Ecology) Thesis:
MS (Ecology) Thesis:
The relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem carbon stocks in subtropical forests in Ningbo region, eastern China. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.3152.9449
BS (Forestry) Thesis:
Role of farm forestry in poverty alleviation and natural resource conservation in Swat valley. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.1593.3925
Peer-Reviewed Publications
*Corresponding author
#Contributed Equally
53) Wang, Y., Yang, X.D., Ali. A., Lv, G.H., Long, Y.X., Wang, Y.Y.,
Ma, Y.G. & Xu, C.C. (2020). Flowering
phenology shifts in response to functional traits and phylogeny of woody
species in the desert area. Frontier in Plant Science. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00536
52) Ali. A*., Sanaei,
A., Ahmadaali, K., Asadi, O., Javanmiri Pour, M., Valipour, A., Karami, J., Aminpour,
M., Kaboli, H. & Askari, Y. (2020) Environmental filtering, predominance of
strong competitor trees and exclusion of moderate-weak competitor trees shape
species richness and biomass. Science of the Total Environment 723, 138105. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138105
51) Yuan, Z#., Ali. A#.,
Ruiz-Benito, P., Jucker, T., Mori, A., Wang, S., Zhang, X., Li, H., Hao, Z., Wang,
X. & Loreau, M. (2020) Above- and below-ground biodiversity jointly regulate
temperate forest multifunctionality along a local-scale environmental gradient.
Journal
of Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.13378
50) Ali. A*., Sanaei, A., Li, M., Asadi, O.N, Javanmiri Pour, M., Valipour, A., Karami, J., Aminpour, M., Kaboli, H. & Askari, Y. (2020) Big-trees – Energy mechanism underlies forest diversity and aboveground biomass. Forest Ecology and Management. 461, 117968. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2020.117968
49) Ali. A*.,
Sanaei, A., Li, M., Ahmadaali, K., Asadi, O., Javanmiri Pour, M., Valipour, A.,
Karami, J., Aminpour, M., Kaboli, H. & Askari, Y. (2020) Impacts of
climatic and edaphic factors on the diversity, structure and biomass of
species-poor and structurally-complex forests. Science of the Total Environment 706, 135719. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135719
2019
48) Sanaei, A.#,
Li, M.S. & Ali. A.#* (2019) Topography, grazing, and textures
control over rangelands' vegetation quantity and quality. Science of the Total Environment 697,
134153. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134153
47) Yuan, Z.Q., Ali,
A., Wang, S.P., Lin, F., Wang, X.G., Ye, J., Hao, Z.Q., Loreau, M. & Lin,
J. (2019) Temporal stability of aboveground biomass is governed by species
asynchrony in temperate forests. Ecological
Indicators 107, 105661. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105661
46) Ali, A., Lin,
S.L., He, J.K., Kong, F.M., Yu, J.H. & Jiang, H.S. (2019) Big-sized trees overrule
remaining trees' attributes and species richness as determinants of aboveground
biomass in tropical forests. Global
Change Biology 25(8), 2810-2824. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14707
45) Villa, P.M., Martins,
S.V., Rodrigues, A.C., Safar, N.V.H., Bonilla. M.A.C. & Ali A. (2019) Testing species abundance distribution models in tropical forest successions:
Implications for fine-scale passive restoration. Ecological Engineering 135, 28-35. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2019.05.015
44) Alice, R., Pedro,
P.M., Ali, A., Walnir, J. & Andreza, N. (2019) Fine-scale habitat
differentiation shapes the composition, structure and aboveground biomass, but
not species richness, of a tropical Atlantic forest. Journal of Forestry Research. DOI: 10.1007/s11676-019-00994-x
(Early view).
43) Yang, X.D., Qie, Y.D.,
Teng, D.X., Ali, A., Liu, Y., Bolan, N., Yang, S., Ma, L.G., Liu, W.G., Lv,
G.H., Yang, S.T. & Simayi, Z. (2019) Prediction of groundwater depth in an arid
region based on maximum tree height. Journal
of Hydrology 574, 46-52. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.04.022
42) Yang, X.D., Ali,
A., Xu, Y.L., Jiang, L.M. & Lv, G.H. (2019) Soil moisture and salinity as
the main drivers for soil respiration across the natural forest and agricultural lands in an arid desert region. Catena 177, 126-133. DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2019.02.015
41) Ali, A., Lin,
S.L., He, J.K., Kong, F.M., Yu, J.H. & Jiang, H.S. (2019) Elucidating
space, climate, edaphic and biodiversity effects on aboveground biomass in
tropical forests. 30(8), 918-927. Land Degradation & Development 30, 918–927. DOI: 10.1002/ldr.3278
40) Yuan, Z., Ali.
A., Jucker, T., Ruiz-Benito, P., Wang, S., Jiang, L., Wang, X., Lin, F., Ye,
J., Hao, Z. & Loreau, M. (2019) Multiple abiotic and biotic pathways shape
biomass demographic processes in temperate forests. Ecology DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2650
39) Yang, X.D., Wang, J., Xu, M.S., Ali A., Xu, Y.L., Lamb, D., Duan, M.C., Yan, K.H.
& Yang, S.T. (2019) Effects of the ephemeral stream on plant species
diversity and distribution in an alluvial fan of arid desert region: an
application of a low altitude UAV. PLoS
ONE 14(2): e0212057. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212057
38) Ali, A., Chen,
H.Y.H., You, W.H. & Yan, E.R. (2019) Multiple abiotic and biotic drivers of
aboveground biomass shift with forest strata. Forest Ecology and Management 436, 1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2019.01.007
37) Yang, X.D. & Ali,
A. (2019) "Biochar for Soil Water Conservation and Salinization Control
in Arid Desert Regions" In Biochar
from Biomass and Waste, pp. 161-168. Elsevier
Publishers. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-811729-3.00009-1 (Book Chapter).
36) Ali, A., Lin,
S.L., He, J.K., Kong, F.M., Yu, J.H. & Jiang, H.S. (2019) Tree crown
complementarity links positive functional diversity and aboveground biomass in
tropical forests. Science of the Total
Environment 656, 45-54. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.342
35) Ali, A*. (2019)
Forest stand structure and functioning: current knowledge and future challenges.
Ecological Indicators 98, 665-677. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.11.017
(Review Paper).
34) Sanaei, A. & Ali, A*. (2019) What is the role of perennial
plants in semi-steppe rangelands? Direct and indirect effects of perennial on annual
plant species. Ecological Indicators
98, 389-396. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.11.012
33) Ali, A., Lin,
S.L., He, J.K., Kong, F.M., Yu, J.H. & Jiang, H.S. (2019) Climate and soils
determine aboveground biomass indirectly via species diversity and stand
structural complexity in tropical forests. Forest Ecology and Management 432, 823-831. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2018.10.024
32) Sanaei, A., Ali,
A*., Ahmadaali, K. & Jahantab, E. (2019) Generalized and species-specific
prediction models for aboveground biomass in semi-steppe rangelands. Journal of Plant Ecology. 12 (3), 428–437. DOI: 10.1093/jpe/rty037
31) Ali, A., Lin,
S.L., He, J.K., Kong, F.M., Yu, J.H. & Jiang, H.S. (2019) Climatic water
availability is the main limiting factor of biotic attributes across
large-scale elevational gradients in tropical forests. Science of the Total Environment 647, 1211-1221. DOI:
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.072
30) Ali, A. & Mattsson, E. (2019) Wood density is a sustainability indicator for
the management of dry zone homegarden agroforests: evidences from biodiversity
- ecosystem function relationships. Special Issue (Climate and Agriculture)
of Ecological Indicators 105,
474-482. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.04.024
2018
29) Villa, P.M., Martins,
S.V., de Oliveira Neto, S.N., Rodrigues, A.C., Safar,
N.V.H., Delgado, L., Monsanto, Cancio, N.M. & Ali, A. (2018) Woody
species diversity as an indicator of the forest recovery after shifting
cultivation disturbance in the northern Amazon. Ecological Indicators 95(P1), 687-694. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.08.005
28) Ali, A.
& Yan, E.R. (2018) Consequences of phylogenetic conservativeness and
functional trait similarity on aboveground biomass vary across subtropical forest
strata. Forest Ecology and Management
429, 28-35. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2018.06.042
27) Yuan, Z.Q., Wang,
S.P., Ali, A., Gazol, A., Ruiz-Benito, P., Wang, X.G., Lin, F., Ye, J.,
Hao, Z.Q. & Loreau, M. (2018) Aboveground carbon storage is driven by functional
trait composition and stand structural attributes rather than biodiversity in
temperate mixed forests recovering from disturbances. Annals of Forest Science 75 (3), 67. DOI: 10.1007/s13595-018-0745-3
26) Ali, A., Lohbeck,
M. & Yan, E.R. (2018) Forest strata-dependent functional evenness explains
whole-community aboveground biomass through opposing mechanisms. Forest Ecology and Management 424, 439–447.
DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2018.05.015
25) Sanaei, A., Ali, A*., Chahouki, M.A.Z., Jafari, M. &
Azarnivand, H. (2018) Plant coverage is a potential ecological indicator for species
diversity and aboveground biomass in semi-steppe rangelands. Ecological Indicators 93, 256-266. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.05.011
24) Yuan, Z.Q., Ali,
A., Wang, S.P., Gazol, A., Freckleton, R., Wang, X.G., Lin, F., Ye, J., Zhou,
L., Hao, Z.Q. & Loreau, M. (2018) Abiotic and biotic determinants of coarse
woody productivity in temperate mixed forests. Science of the Total Environment
630, 422-431. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.125
23) Ali, A.
& Yan, E.R. (2018) The mediation roles of intraspecific and interspecific functional
trait diversity for linking the response of aboveground biomass to species
richness across forest strata in a subtropical forest. Ecological Indicators 85, 493-501. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.10.057
22) Sanaei, A., Chahouki, M.A.Z., Ali, A*., Jafari, M. & Azarnivand, H. (2018)
Abiotic and biotic drivers of aboveground biomass in semi-steppe rangelands. Science
of the Total Environment 615, 895-905. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.010
21) Sanaei, A., Ali, A*. & Chahouki, M.A.Z. (2018) The positive
relationships between plant coverage, species richness, and aboveground biomass
are ubiquitous across plant growth forms in semi-steppe rangelands. Journal of Environmental Management 205,
308-318. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.09.079
2017
20)
Ali, A. & Yan, E.R. (2017) Functional
identity of overstorey tree height and understorey conservative traits drive
aboveground biomass in a subtropical forest. Ecological Indicators 83,
158-168. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.07
19)
Ali, A. & Yan, E.R. (2017) The forest
strata-dependent relationship between biodiversity and aboveground biomass
within a subtropical forest. Forest
Ecology and Management 401, 125-134. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2017.06.056
18) Ali,
A. & Mattsson, E. (2017)
Disentangling the effects of species diversity, and intraspecific and interspecific
tree size variation on aboveground biomass in dry zone homegarden agroforestry systems. Science of the Total Environment
598, 38-48. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.131
17)
Yang, X.D., Lv, G.H., Ali, A., Ran, Q.Y., Gong, X.W., Wang, F., Liu,
Z.D., Qin, L. & Liu, W.G. (2017) Variations in functional traits and population
dynamics of an ephemeral plant Lappula semiglabra with dew amount gradients in
Ebinur Desert in NW, China. Ecohydrology
10(6) e1858. DOI:10.1002/eco.1858
16)
Ali, A. & Mattsson, E. (2017)
Individual tree size inequality enhances aboveground biomass in homegarden agroforestry systems in the dry zone
of Sri Lanka. Science of the Total Environment 575, 6-11. DOI:
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.022
15) Ali,
A., Yan, E.R., Scott, X.C., Cheng, J.Y. & Liu, X.Y. (2017) Community-weighted
mean of leaf traits and divergence of wood traits predict aboveground biomass
in secondary subtropical forests. Science of the Total Environment 574, 654–662. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.09.022
14)
Zhao, Y.T., Ali, A. & Yan, E.R. (2017) The plant
economics spectrum is structured by leaf habits and growth forms across subtropical
species. Tree Physiology 37
(2): 173-185. DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpw098
13)
Ali, A. & Yan, E.R. (2017) Relationships between biodiversity
and carbon stocks in forest ecosystems: a systematic literature review. Tropical Ecology 58(1), 1–14. (Review Paper).
2016 and earlier
12)
Ali, A., Molau, U., Yang, B., Jägerbrand, A.K. & Alatalo, J.M.
(2016) Diversity-productivity dependent resistance of an alpine plant community
to different climate change scenarios. Ecological
Research 31(6), 935–945. DOI: 10.1007/s11284-016-1403-6
11) Ali,
A., Yan, E.R., Chen, H.Y.H., Chang, S.X., Zhao, Y.T., Yang, X.D. & Xu,
M.S. (2016) Stand structural diversity rather than species diversity enhances
aboveground carbon storage in secondary subtropical forests in Eastern China. Biogeosciences 13(16), 4627-4635. DOI:10.5194/bg-13-4627-2016, Biogeosciences Discussion., DOI:10.5194/bg-2016-6.
Data from: Stand structural diversity rather than species diversity enhances aboveground
carbon storage in secondary subtropical forests in Eastern China. Dryad Digital Repository. DOI:10.5061/dryad.8bp7m
10) Ali,
A., Xu, M.S., Zhao, Y.T., Zhang, Q.Q., Zhou, L.L., Yang, X.D. & Yan,
E.R. (2015) Allometric biomass equations for shrub and small tree species in
subtropical China. Silva Fennica 49 (4), 1-10.
DOI:10.14214/sf.1275
9)
Ali, A. (2015) A review of strong evidence for the effect of
functional dominance on carbon stocks in natural forest ecosystems. Research
Journal of Forestry 9(3), 65-70. DOI:10.3923/rjf.2015.65.70 (Review Paper).
8) Yang, X.D., Zhang, X.N.,
Lv, G.H. & Ali, A. (2014) Linking Populus euphratica hydraulic redistribution to diversity assembly
in the arid desert zone of Xinjiang, China. PLoS ONE, 9(10), e109071. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0109071
7)
Ali, A., Ma, W.J., Yang, X.D., Sun, B.W., Shi, Q.R. & Xu, M.S. (2014)
Biomass and carbon stocks in Schima superba
dominated subtropical forests of eastern China. Journal of Forest Science, 60(5), 198-207. DOI: 10.17221/21/2014-JFS
6)
Song, Y.J., Tian, W.B., Liu, X.Y., Ying, F., Cheng, J.Y., Zhu, D.N., A. Ali.
& Yan, E.R. (2016) Associations between litterfall dynamics and
micro-climate in forests of Putuoshan Island, Zhejiang, China. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 40
(11), 1154–1163. DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2016.0157
5)
Xu. M.S., Zhao, Y.T., Yang, X.D., Shi, Q.R., Zhou, L.L., Zhang, Q.Q., Ali.
A. & Yan. E.R. (2016) Geostatistical analysis of spatial variations in
leaf traits of woody plants in Tiantong, Zhejiang Province. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 40
(1), 48-59. DOI:10.17521/cjpe.2015.0246
4)
Zhao Y.T., Xu, M.S., Zhang, Z.H., Zhou, L.L., Zhang, Q.Q., Ali, A.,
Song, Y.J. & Yan, E.R. (2016) Characteristics of hydraulic architecture in woody
plants across successional stages in evergreen broad-leaved forests in Tiantong,
Zhejiang Province. Chinese Journal of
Plant Ecology, 40(2), 116-126. DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2015.0258
3)
Ma, W.J., Zhao, Y.T., Zhang, Q.Q., Ali, A., Shi, Q.R. & Yan, E.R. (2014)
C:N:P stoichiometry in forest floor litter of evergreen broad-leaved forests at
different successional stages in Tiantong, Zhejiang, eastern China. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 38(8),
833-842. DOI:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2014.00078
2)
Sun, B.W., Yang, X.D., Zhang, Z.H., Ma, W.J., Ali, A., Huang, H.X. & Yan, E.R. (2013)
Relationships between soil carbon pool and vegetation carbon return through succession of evergreen broad-leaved forests in
Tiantong region, Zhejiang Province, Eastern China. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 37(9), 803-810. DOI:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2013.00084
1)
Yang, X.D., Yan, E.R., Zhang, Z.H., Sun, B.W., Huang, H.X., Ali, A., Ma, W.J.
& Shi, Q.R. (2013) Tree architecture of overlapping species among successional stages in evergreen
broad-leaved forests in Tiantong region, Zhejiang Province, China. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 37(7),
611-619. DOI:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2013.00063
Invited Talks, Editorials, Conference Abstracts, Posters and Presentations
8) Ali. A*., Sanaei, A., Li, M., Asadi, O., Javanmiri Pour, M., Valipour, A., Karami, J., Aminpour, M., Kaboli, H. & Askari, Y. (2019) Big-trees – energy mechanism underlies forest diversity and aboveground biomass. Celebrating Global Ecology. 2019 Annual Meeting of British Ecological Society, Belfast, UK.
7) Ali, A. (2019) Biodiversity and the functioning of natural and managed plant
ecosystems in a changing environment. Invited lecture at Tsinghua-Berkeley
Shenzhen institute (TBSI). TBSI Greater Bay
Area Intellectual Forum, Lecture 97
available at http://www.tbsi.edu.cn/en/index.php?s=/cms/527.html
6)
Ali, A., Lin, S.L., He, J.K., Kong, F.M., Yu, J.H. & Jiang, H.S. (2018)
Tree Functional diversity increases aboveground biomass via increasing tree
crown complementarity in tropical forests of Hainan Island, Southern China. sciencesconf.org:sfecologie2018:208615.
(oral presentation in International Conference
on Ecological Sciences, Rennes, France)
5) Ali. A. (2017) Represented East China Normal University as the main
organizer or student in charge in The 15th Challenge Cup Carnival on Technological
Innovation of Overseas Students in China. Biodiversity and the functioning
of forests in Eastern China.
4) Ali, A. & Yan, E.R. (2016) Stand structural diversity rather than species diversity enhances
aboveground carbon storage in secondary subtropical forests in Eastern China.
2016 2nd graduate students’ forum
(Guang Hua forum) held at School of
Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University. Available
at http://www.sees.ecnu.edu.cn/index.php?classid=7345&newsid=10911&t=show
(First presentation on 18th December, 2016)
3) Ali, A., Yan, E.R., Xu, M.S., Zhao, Y.T. & Zhou, L.L. (2015)
Functional dominance and divergence predict carbon stocks in subtropical
forests: Testing the mass ratio and niche complementarity hypotheses. 64th
International symposium on ecology held at East China Normal University,
Shanghai (Research Poster on 26th Sep,
2015). Available at http://www.sees.ecnu.edu.cn/index.php?classid=7345&newsid=10609&t=show
2) Ali, A. (2014) Deforestation: a key ecological issue. The
Express Tribune, opinion letter no. 697344. Available at http://tribune.com.pk/story/697344/deforestation-a-key-ecological-issue/
1) Ali, A., Yan, E.R. & Yang. X.D. (2013) Effects of stand structural diversity on carbon stocks in the subtropical forests of eastern China. 2013 national conference of Ecological Society of China (held at Nanchang China). Available at http://www.planta.cn/forum/files_planta/oeparagraphae__104.pdf (Page 26, Poster no. P38)