On 27 September, a famous, ethically Chinese ecologist, Prof FangliangHe from University of Alberta, Canada, Invited by director of our institute Xingguo Han, visited here and gave a seminar entitled as Area Based Assessment of Extinction Risk.

Prof He, Canada research chair in Biodiversity and Landscape Modeling, has been devoting to research in biodiversity time-space patterns, coexistence mechanisms, spatial statistics and simulation and prediction by modeling. He ismembers of editorial board of periodicalEcology, Ecological Monographs and Ecology Letters. On his seminar, he aimed to the core problem in biodiversity preservation: How to judge whether a species is under the threat of extinction or is there a method to overcome the shortcomings in current theory put forward by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN) and thus provide a simple and scientific resolution? Prof He deduced his creative theoretical model and tested the model by existed data. The model has sufficient bases, its mathematic expression is simple, parameters are easily obtained, is not restricted by scales, species and spatial patterns. The model is also easily operated and practical. It is believed that the model will become classical and practical one in biodiversity assessment and conservation.

The audience were impressed by his scientific thought, rigorous demonstration and accurate expression.

After the seminar, Prof He had discussions with the research workers and graduated students and made pertinent suggestions on related questions.