Luo Wentao, male, born in November 1986 in Beipiao, Liaoning Province, holds a PhD and is a member of the Jiusan Society. He is a researcher and doctoral supervisor at the Shenyang Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, a recipient of the National Excellent Young Scientist Fund, and a member of the CAS Youth Innovation Association. He also serves as an editorial board member for Acta Ecologica Sinica, Journal of Ecology, and Oecologia, and as the director of the Liaoxi Northern Grassland Ecosystem National Observation Research Station under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Selected for the “Talents to Revitalize Inner Mongolia” program, his research focuses on grassland drought adaptation mechanisms and strategies, revealing key ecological processes and drivers that shape plant community responses to environmental changes, and developing technologies for targeted and rapid restoration of degraded grasslands. He has led over ten projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Key R&D Program, and CAS Pioneer Initiatives. His consultation reports have been adopted by the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and his developed technologies have received international invention patents. As first or corresponding author, he has published over 30 papers in SCI journals, including Ecology Letters (cover), Ecology (5 papers), Journal of Ecology (4 papers), and Functional Ecology (4 papers).

2012.09–2015.06 PhD in Ecology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; 2009.09–2012.06 Master’s in Environmental Science, Liaoning Normal University; 2005.09–2009.06 Bachelor’s in Biological Science, Daqing Normal University.

2024.11–present: Researcher, Shenyang Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2019.11–2024.10: Researcher, Shenyang Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2015.07–2019.10: Researcher, Shenyang Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Plant functional traits and drought adaptation strategies; mechanisms maintaining plant diversity and ecosystem function; vegetation restoration and sustainable management; water–carbon coupling and plant–environment interactions; responses and adaptations of grassland ecosystems.

Recipient of the National Excellent Young Scientist Fund, member of the CAS Youth Innovation Promotion Association, editorial board member of Acta Ecologica Sinica, Journal of Ecology, and Oecologia, director of the Liaoxi Northern Grassland Ecosystem National Observation Research Station under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, and selected for the “Talents to Revitalize Inner Mongolia” program.

2025–2027: National Natural Science Foundation of China (Excellent Young Scientists Fund), Mechanisms and strategies of grassland drought adaptation, Principal Investigator. 2022–2025: National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Program), Responses of different grassland plant bud banks and their vegetation relationships to extreme drought, Principal Investigator. 2020–2023: National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Program), Recovery and mechanisms of grassland plant communities after extreme drought, Principal Investigator. 2017–2019: National Natural Science Foundation of China (Youth Program), Responses of dominant Hulunbuir grassland plant nitrogen-use efficiency to nitrogen sources and sinks, Principal Investigator. 2022–2026: National Key R&D Program of China (Subproject), Ecosystem multifunctionality and stability mechanisms of meadow grasslands, Principal Investigator. 2016–2020: National Key R&D Program of China (Subproject), Biodiversity management and artificial grassland establishment in the northern agro-pastoral ecotone, Principal Investigator. 2020–2023: CAS Youth Innovation Promotion Association Project, Principal Investigator. 2019–2023: CAS Strategic Priority Research Program, Type A (Subproject), Introduction, cultivation, and ex situ conservation of plants in national nature reserves, Principal Investigator. 2023–2026: Liaoning Province “Jie Bang Gua Shuai” Technology Breakthrough Plan (Subproject), Soil habitat improvement and nutrient regulation for sandy grassland restoration, Principal Investigator. 2020–2022: Liaoning Province Major Science Plan (Subproject), Targeted restoration techniques for vegetation on retired cropland, Principal Investigator. 2023–2025: Liaoning Province Joint Science and Technology Program (Applied Basic Research Project), Drought adaptation mechanisms and strategies of plant communities in northwest Liaoning grasslands, Principal Investigator.

1.Chen JQ, Te N, Qiu C, Shi Y, Song L, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Broderick CM, Yu Q, Wang Z, Jiang Y, Han X, Collins SL, Luo WT* (2026) Dominant species determine drought effects on grassland multifunctionality. Journal of Ecology 114: e70276. 2.Tian JT#, Zhang ZM#, Te N, Tao J, Kong D, Zhu J, Zhang Y, Lubbe FC, Collins SL, Luo WT*, Qian JQ*, Han X (2026) Grassland bud and shoot demography depend on both amount and frequency of nitrogen addition. Journal of Ecology 114: e70273. 3.Muraina TO#, Te NW#, Jimoh SO, Griffin-Nolan R, Song L, Chen J, Shi Y, Amisu AA, Chaudhary T, Yu Q, Smith MD, Knapp AK, Collins SL, Luo WT*, Martina JP (2026) Resistance of shallow soil carbon to both short-term isolated and recurrent droughts in two semi-arid grasslands. Oecologia, 2026, 208: 19. 4.Luo WT*, Ishii NI, Muraina TO, Song L, Te N, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Slette IJ, Ross SRPJ, Sasaki T, Rudgers JA, Smith MD, Knapp AK, Collins SL. Extreme drought increases the temporal variability of grassland productivity by suppressing dominant grasses. Ecology Letters, 2025, 28: e70127 (封面文章). 5.Te NW, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Slette IJ, Shi Y, Song L, Chen J , Wang H, Qian J, Yu Q, Wang Z, Lü X, Han X, Klimešová J, Collins SL, Luo WT*. Grassland bud and shoot demographic responses to single and recurrent droughts vary across an aridity gradient. Ecology, 2025 106: e70002. 6.Te NW, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Slette IJ, Shi Y, Song L, Chen J , Wang H, Qian J, Yu Q, Wang Z, Lü X, Han X, Klimešová J, Collins SL, Luo WT*. Responses of Grassland Bud Traits to Single and Recurrent Droughts Across an Aridity Gradient. Bull Ecol Soc Am, 2025, 0:e70011. 7.Shi Y, Muraina TO, Jimoh SO, Te N, Song L, Chen J, Wang H, Yu Q, Zuo X, Han X, Luo WT*, Collins SL. Fine root trait dynamics and their relationships with productivity across grasslands under extreme drought. Oecologia, 2025, 207: 158. 8.Song L, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Muraina TO, Chen JQ, Te NW, Shi Y, Whitney KD, Zhang BC, Yu Q, Smith MD, Zuo XA, Wang ZW, Knapp AK, Han XG, Collins SL, Luo WT* Grassland sensitivity to drought is related to functional composition across East Asia and North America. Ecology, 2024, 105: e4220. 9.Qiu B, Te N, Song L, Shi Y, Qiu C, Zuo X, Yu Q, Qian J, Wang Z, Wu H, Luo WT* (2024) Unexpected diversity in ecosystem nutrient responses to experimental drought in temperate grasslands. Phyton, 93: 831. 10.Luo WT*, Shi Y, Wilkins K, Song L, Te N, Chen J, Zhang H, Yu Q, Wang Z, Han X, Collins SLL. Plant traits modulate grassland stability during drought and post-drought periods. Functional Ecology, 2023, 37: 2611-2620. 11.Luo WT*, Muraina TO, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Te N, Qian J, Yu Q, Zuo X, Wang Z, Knapp AK, Smith MD, Han X, Collins SL (2023) High below-ground bud abundance increases ecosystem recovery from drought across arid and semiarid grasslands. Journal of Ecology, 111: 2038-2048. 12.Luo WT*, Ma W, Muraina TO, Song L, Te N, Chen JQ, Wilkins K, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Ma T, Qian J, Xu C, Yu Q, Wang Z, Han X, Collins SL. Compensatory dynamics drive grassland recovery from drought. Journal of Ecology, 2023, 111, 1281-1291. 13.Qian J, Zhang Z, Dong Y, Ma Q, Yu Q, Zhu J, Zuo X, Broderick CM, Collins LS, Han X, Luo WT*. Responses of bud banks and shoot density to experimental drought along an aridity gradient in temperate grasslands. Functional Ecology, 2023, 37, 1211-1220. 14.Luo WT*, Muraina TO, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Ma W, Song L, Fu W, Yu Q, Knapp AK, Wang Z, Han X. Collins SL. Responses of a semiarid grassland to recurrent drought are linked to community functional composition. Ecology, 2023 104(2): e3920. 15.Luo WT, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Felton AJ, Yu Q, Wang H*, Zhang H*, Wang Z, Han X, Collins SL, Knapp AK. Drought has inconsistent effects on seed trait composition despite their strong association with ecosystem drought sensitivity. Functional Ecology, 2022, 36: 2690-2700. 16.Luo WT*, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Song L, Te N, Chen J, Shi Y, Muraina TO, Wang Z, Smith MD, Yu Q, Knapp AK, Han X, Collins SL. Interspecific and intraspecific trait variability differentially affect community-weighted trait responses to and recovery from long-term drought. Functional Ecology, 2022, 37, 504–512. 17.Qian J, Guo Z, Muraina Ta, Te N, Griffin-Nolan R, Song L, Xu C, Yu Q, Zhang Z*, Luo WT*. Legacy effects of a multi-year extreme drought on belowground bud banks in rhizomatous vs bunchgrass-dominated grasslands. Oecologia, 2022, 198(3): 763-771. 18.Song L, Luo WT*, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Ma W, Cai J, Zuo X, Yu Q, Hartmann H, Li MH, Smith MD, Collins SL, Knapp AK, Wang Z*, Han X. Differential responses of grassland community nonstructural carbohydrate to experimental drought along a natural aridity gradient. Science of the Total Environment, 2022, 822: 153589. 19.Luo WT, ZuoXA, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Xu C, Sardans J, Yu Q*, Wang ZW*, Han XG, Peñuelas J. Chronic and intense droughts differentially influence grassland carbon-nutrient dynamics along a natural aridity gradient, Plant and Soil, 2022, 473: 137-148. 20.Luo WT, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Ma W, Liu B, Zuo X, Xu C, Yu Q*, Luo Y, Mariotte P, Smith MD, Collins SL, Knapp AK, Wang Z, Han X. Plant traits and soil fertility mediate productivity losses under extreme drought in C3 grasslands. Ecology, 2021, 102: e03465. 21.Luo WT, Wang X, Auerswald K, Wang Z, Bird MI, Still CJ, Lü XT*, Han X. Effects of plant intraspecific variation on the prediction of C3/C4 vegetation ratio from carbon isotope composition of topsoil organic matter across grasslands. Journal of Plant Ecology, 2021, 14: 628-637. 22.Luo WT, Zuo XA*, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Xu C, Ma M, Song L, Helsen K, Lin Y, Cai J, Yu Q, Wang ZW*, Smith MD, Han XG, Knapp AK. Long term experimental drought alters community plant trait variation, not trait means, across three semiarid grasslands, Plant and Soil, 2019, 442: 343-353 23.Luo WT, Zuo XA, Ma W, Xu C, Li A, Yu Q, Knapp AK, Tognetti R, Dijkstra FA, Li MH, Han GD, Wang ZW*, Han XG. Differential responses of canopy nutrients to experimental drought along a natural aridity gradient, Ecology, 2018, 99: 2230-2239 24.Luo WT, Xu C, Ma W, Yue XY, Zuo XA, Knapp AK, Smith MD, Sardans J, Dijkstra FA, Peñuelas J, Bai YF, Wang ZW*, Yu Q*, Han XG. Effects of extreme drought on plant nutrient uptake and resorption in rhizomatous vs bunch grass dominated grasslands, Oecologia, 2018, 188: 633-643 25.Luo WT, Wang XG, Jordi S, Wang ZW, Feike AD, Lü XT*, Peñuelas P, Han XG. Higher capability of C3 than C4 plants to use nitrogen inferred from nitrogen stable isotopes along an aridity gradient, Plant and Soil, 2018, 428: 93-103 26.Luo WT, Li MH, Jordi S, Lü XT, Wang Chao, Peñuelas P, Wang ZW, Han XG, Jiang Y*. Carbon and nitrogen allocation shifts in plants and soils under changing climate and fertility, Ecology and Evolution, 2017, 7: 6927-6934 27.Luo WT, Sardans J, Dijkstra FA, Peñuelas JJ, Lü XT, Wu H, Li MH, Bai E, Wang ZW, Han XG, Jiang Y*. Thresholds in decoupled soil-plant elements under changing climatic conditions, Plant and Soil, 2016, 409: 159-173 28.Luo WT, Dijkstra FA, Bai E, Feng J, Lü XT, Wang C, Wu HH, Li MH, Han XG, Jiang Y*. A threshold reveals decoupled relationship of sulfur with carbon and nitrogen in soils across arid and semi-arid grasslands in northern China, Biogeochemistry, 2016, 127: 141-153 29.Luo WT, Elser JJ, Lü XT, Wang Z, Bai E, Yan C, Wang C, Li MH, Zimmermann NE, Han XG, Xu Z, Li H, Wu Y, Jiang Y*. Plant nutrients do not covary with soil nutrients under changing climatic conditions, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 2015, 29: 1298-1308 30.Luo WT, Nelson PN, Li MH, Cai JP, Zhang Y, Shan Y, Wang RZ, Han XG, Jiang Y*. Contrasting pH buffering patterns in neutral-alkaline soils along a 3600 km transect in northern China, Biogeosciences, 2015, 12: 7047-7056 31.Luo WT, Jiang Y*, Lü XT, Wang X, Li MH, Bai E, Han XG, Xu ZW. Patterns of plant biomass allocation in temperate grasslands across a 2500-km transect in northern China. PLoS One, 2013, 8(8): e71749

Luo Wentao, Shi Yuan, Tenniu, Lv Xiaotao, Wang Zhengwen. Method for predicting productivity of grassland. Patent No. 2035665, granted 06/03/2025 (European invention patent).