As global climate change and biodiversity loss press down on the planet, 海角社区 soil scientist believes one of the most important ways to combat the effects is through the power of plants.
Preserving plant diversity and enhancing valuable processes like photosynthesis mean “more productive ecosystems” of biomass or organic matter like tree trunks and leaf litter, says Chang, a professor in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences (ALES).
“Some of that organic matter will be retained in the soil, which lowers the release of carbon and nitrogen into the atmosphere in the form of potent greenhouse gases.”
Working to better understand the importance of preserving plant biodiversity, Chang and his colleagues have produced several important studies looking at , the role of , and .
Collectively, the work shows the benefits plants can have for the environment over time, and can help guide effective policy to protect their biodiversity, Chang suggests.
“We can help develop protection measures in existing ecosystems, or increase biodiversity when new ecosystems are being established, such as through reforestation programs.”
The work has also helped land Chang on for the second year in a row.
The list identifies authors of multiple scientific papers ranking in the top one per cent in the world by citations for their field and publication year over the last decade, showing significant influence among their peers.
Having highly cited studies “helps establish linkages with other researchers as well as industry,” Chang notes. “Local, national and international collaboration with diverse groups is important to expanding the reach and impact of research.”
Cited more than 19,000 times since 1995, according to Clarivate’s Web of Science platform, Chang is joined on the list for the first time by wildland fire scientist , also based in ALES. Named to the list again this year are ALES food microbiologist and nutrition researcher , along with Faculty of Science genetics researcher and computational biology professor , whose work has been cited more than 85,000 times since 1986. Also on the list are two previous members of the : , a bioinformatics specialist who co-founded the startup company , and David Arndt, a bioinformatician. They are joined by evolutionary biologist and Canada Excellence Research Chair , who makes the list for the first time as a 海角社区 researcher and has been named to the list annually since 2018. Physical activity researcher of the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation was named as well, for the sixth consecutive year.
“This list demonstrates not only the world-leading expertise of our researchers but also the broad-ranging impact of their work,” says Aminah Robinson Fayek, 海角社区 vice-president of research and innovation.
“The 海角社区 is proud to support these researchers in advancing research and innovation initiatives that address the grand challenges of our time.”
Canadian universities had 206 researchers on the list to sit sixth in the world. The United States led this year with 2,507 of the most highly cited researchers, followed by Mainland China with 1,405 researchers and the United Kingdom with 563 researchers.