From July 31st to August 3rd, the Huitong Forest Ecosystem Research Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as Huitong Station) and School of Environment and Planning of Henan University jointly initiated an academic forum "Multi-scale Research on Ecosystem Structure, Process and Function" at Huitong Station. This forum was also part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of Huitong Station. More than 60 research scientists and postgraduate students from Henan University, the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Nanchang University, Shanxi Normal University and other research institutions attended this academic forum.

WANG Silong, head of Huitong Station, delivered a welcome speech and gave a detailed introduction to the geographic location, research directions and experimental facilities of the research station. Afterwards, Prof. XU Ming of Henan University gave a talk on the hot spots of ecological research. Prof. LIU Binhui of Northeast Forestry University, Prof. LI Hui, Prof. ZHANG Weidong and others made brilliant talks, which covered a wide range of topics, including the "temporal and spatial changes of surface temperature in China", "the temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter mineralization and leaf dark respiration", "litter decomposition and woody plant rhizosphere priming effect", "soil organic carbon storage and turnover in lake and beach wetlands", "grassland community functional traits and service functions in areas where the Policy of Turning Marginal Farmland to Grasslands was implemented", "new mechanism for improving productivity of Chinese Fir plantations", "cloud-based remote sensing analyses on spatial and temporal variation in vegetation phenology in forests of China", "soil microbial distribution characteristics in China", "research on the application of neurology in landscape experiencing" and "the impact of climate change on geographical spatial distribution of Chrysanthemum bats", etc. The research scientists and postgraduate students conducted in-depth discussions on topics of their interest. This forum enhanced academic exchanges among young scholars and postgraduate students and broadened their academic horizons.

After the forum, the experts attended the forum, accompanied by the staff at Huitong Station, visited the Underground Process Experimental Platform, the comprehensive observation platform for evergreen broad-leaved forests and Chinese Fir plantations, and the Chinese Fir plantation large-scale plot. At these field experimental sites, the technical backbones at Huitong Station introduced research aims and progress of different experimental platforms. The experts attended the forum fully affirmed the uniqueness and significance of evergreen broad-leaved forest ecological restoration plots, the Chinese Fir plantation large-scale plot and the above- and below-ground interaction experimental platform, and put forward fruitful suggestions for related research. Afterwards, Prof. XU Ming and Prof. WANG Silong took a field trip to investigate geomantic ("fengshui") forests in the minority areas in southwest Hunan Province, and they reached a preliminary cooperation intention on the study of the roles of Dong and Miao ethnic minorities' culture in the protection of geomantic forests and the maintenance of biodiversity.