Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, i.e. the Sino-Russian International Cooperation Project (NSFC-RFBC), “Microbiological Mechanism of Soil Organic Matter Transformation Temperature Sensitivity: Metabolic Activity, Genetic Diversity and Community Structure” (31811530080), Irina Kravchenko and Marina Sukhacheva, senior researchers from the Biotechnology Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Mikhail Semenov, researcher from the V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Institute, conducted a seven-day visit and academic exchange to the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences from September 23rd to 29th, 2018.

On September 26, 2018, at the invitation of the Ecological Stoichiometry Research Group of the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), Professor Seth Pritchard of Charleston College of the United States came to IAE for an academic visit and exchange. Professor Pritchard gave a talk entitled “Understanding the life history of Fine roots: Comments on methods of measuring turnover rates and quantifying decomposition" and shared his research experience in the past 20 years on fine root turnover and decomposition in forests. Professor Pritchard is engaged in forest ecology, underground ecology and global change ecology research. He is also one of the main promoters of minirhizotron method for the study of fine-root turnover and decomposition.

From September 26th to 27th, 2018, at the invitation of the Eco-Climate Group of the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), a team of four scientists from Finland, including Professor Markku Kulmala, director of the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR), University of Helsinki, Professor Tuukka Petaja, Dr. Jaana Back and Dr. Joni Kujansuu came to the Changbai Mountain Forest Ecosystem Research Station of CAS (hereinafter referred to as Changbai Station) for a two-day visit and academic exchange.

On September 25, 2018, Dr. Ember Morrissey from West Virginia University visited the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, in response to the joint invitation of the Youth Promotion Association, the Biogeochemistry Group, the Science & Technology Division and the Personnel Division of IAE.

On September 16th to 19th, 2018, the "5th National Symposium on Stable Isotope Ecology and Annual Committee Meeting of Stable Isotope Ecology of Ecological Society of China" was held in Shenyang, China. LUO Jing,

On August 30, 2018, the 7th Young Scholars Salon, co-sponsored by the Youth Innovation Promotion Association, the Regional Low-Carbon Development Research Group, the Personnel Division and the Science and Technology Division of the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), was held in the Academic Reporting Hall of IAE.

On August 27, 2018, at the invitation of Prof. LI Qi from the Soil Ecology Group of the Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Martijn Bezemer of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology made an academic visit to the Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station (hereinafter referred to as Erguna Station).

The 17th World Fertilizer Congress (WFC) themed as ‘Go East! Fertilizers!’ was launched successfully in Shenyang on September 3rd-7th, 2018. The WFC was organized jointly by International Scientific Centre of Fertilizers and Chinese Academy of Sciences. The host organizers include Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute for Crop and Soil Science, Julius Kuhn-Institute, Germany and Shenyang Association for Science and Technology. This is the second time for China to host this highly regarded event since 2001.

On August 17, 2018, LIU Li, deputy director of Dandong Municipal Science and Technology Bureau and other eight people from Dandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Dandong Pharmaceutical Group as well as Kuandian County S&T Bureau visited Qingyuan Forest Ecosystem Research Station and investigated forest understory economic development.