From October 10th to 12th, the 2023 National Key Research and Development Program conference on Mechanisms of Typical Artificial Forest Ecosystems’ Adaptation to Global Change convened in Qingyuan, Liaoning Province. Hosted by the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), this event was held at the Qingyuan Forest Ecosystem National Field Observation and Research Station (Qingyuan Station), with Dr. ZHUO Junchen, Deputy Director of IAE, presiding.

Distinguished experts, including Dr. LIU Shirong from the Chinese Academy of Forestry (project tracking specialist, attending virtually), Dr. YAN Junhua from the South China Botanical Garden of CAS, Prof. WU Jiasheng from Zhejiang A&F University, Dr. WANG Bing from the Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection at the Chinese Academy of Forestry, and others attended the conference. Representatives from the National Natural Science Foundation of China also participated.

During project presentations, researchers reported on progress, achievements, talent development, academic exchanges, funding utilization, and future research plans related to the project’s various topics. The supervision expert panel engaged in fruitful discussions and provided practical recommendations.

ZHANG Feng (attending virtually), Director of the High Technology Research and Development Center of National Natural Science Foundation of China, emphasized that the project should highlight innovative approaches for artificial forest ecosystems to address global climate change through theoretical insights, policy recommendations, and actionable measures. Professor LIU Shirong stressed the importance of significant policy recommendations before project completion. DUAN Xiaonan (attending virtually), Director from the Bureau of Science and Technology Promotion and Development of CAS, suggested a focus on understanding carbon sequestration in artificial forests.

Following the presentations, the supervision expert panel conducted a field inspection of research platforms at Qingyuan Station. Dr. ZHU Jiaojun, project lead researcher, expressed gratitude for expert feedback and committed to incorporating their insights into future project goals.