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Faculty and Staff
 
Name:
 CAO Kunfang
Education:
 Ph.D
Positions:
 Research Professor, Ph.D. Supervisor
Academic title:
 Professor
Postal Code:
 666303
Subject categories:
 Botany
Mailing Address:
 XTBG,Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China
E-mail:
 caokf@xtbg.ac.cn

Resume:
 
 

Name: Cao Kunfang

Sex: Male

E-mail:caokf@xtbg.ac.cn

Address: Xishuangbanna Troipcal Botanical Garden, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun Town, Mengla County, Yunnan, PR. China, 666303

 

Current Position:

Research Professor, Ph.D. Supervisor

 

Education Background:

1991.01-1995.01        Ph.D degree in Forest Ecology, Wageningen Agricultural University, the Netherlands

1978.10-1982.07       Bachelor degree, Nanjing Agricultural University, China

 

Other Training:

1988.06-1989.10  Forest ecology, Wageningen Agricultural University, the Netherlands

1984.09-1985.10  Advanced English Course for Adults, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

 

Work Experience:

1982.08-1991.02  Research Associate, CAS Institute of Botany, Beijing

1991.03-1996.04  Research Assistant/Assistant Professor, CAS Institute of Botany, Beijing

1995.04-1997.04  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Utsunomiya University, Japan

1997.07-1999.02  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Brunei University

1999.10-now   Research Professor, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

2000-2002     Recruit of CAS Century Program (Hundred Talents Program)

2001.10-now  International Research Fellow, Wageningen Agricultural University, the Netherlands

2006.04-2006.09, Visiting professor of Weed Science Center, Utsunomiya University, Japan.

 

Memberships:

·Member of Provincial Committee of Yunnan People’s Political Consultative Conference

·Member of the Editorial Board of Forest Ecology and Management (since December 2002.)

·Member of the Editorial Board for Journal of Plant Ecology (formerly Acta Phytoecologica Sinica)  (Since March 1999)

·Member of the Editorial Board for Biodiversity Science (since July 1999)

·Member of the Committee of Plant Ecology, the Botanical Society of China (since 1998)

·Member of International Association of Vegetation, Botanical Society of China, International Society for Ecology, Ecological Society of China, and Chinese Society of Forestry.

 

Review Manuscripts for:

Science, Tree Physiology, American Journal of Botany, Annals of Botany, Journal of Tropical Ecology, Forest Ecology and Management, Acta Oecologia, Annals of Forest Science, Ecological Research, Science in China, Journal of Integrative Plant Biology (formerly Acta Botanica Sinica), Journal of Plant Ecology, Biodiversity Science, etc.

 

 

Awards:

·National Medal for Outstanding Overseas-trained Scholar Returnees in September 2003

·Government Special Subsidy granted by Yunnan Provincial Government in 2006

 

Research Interests:

Forest Ecology, Plant Physiological Ecology, Stress Ecophysiology, Tree-ring Ecology, and Plant Community Ecology

 

Research Orientations:

·Hydraulic architecture and water relations of woody plants

·Physiological mechanism of tropical plants under low temperature stress

·Protection mechanisms of tropical forest plants under the stress of strong light and water

·Physiological and ecological mechanism of plants in dry and hot river valleys under multiple stress conditions

·Light utilization of forest undergrowth plants

·Effects of light on growth, morphological development, biomass allocation and physiological functions of plants with different ecological temperments

·Leaf morphological anatomical and physiological characteristics of plants of different plant functional types (groups).

 

Recent Projects:

·Ecophysiological adaptation of woody plants on subtropical karst mountains of SW China, granted by Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, 2007-2010 (principal investigator)

·Comparative ecophysiology of deciduous and evergreen broadleaved trees in montane evergreen broadleaved forests of Mt. Ailaoshan, Central Yunnan, granted by National Science Foundation of China, 2007-2009. (PI)

·“Degradation mechanism and restoration test in dry and hot river valley in Yuanjiang, Yunnan”, a key project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), 2004-2007 (PI)

“Adaptation mechanism of plants in dry and hot river valleys under environmental stress” a key project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS),2002-2006 (PI)

·“Endangered mechanism and conservative strategies of Shorea Chinensis”, a sub-project of CAS Major Research Project, 2001-2005

 

 

Direction:
 
 Forest Ecology, Plant Physiological Ecology, Stress Ecophysiology, Tree-ring Ecology, and Plant Community Ecology

Achievements:
 

Article:
 
 

Selected Publications:

 

 Hao, Guang-You, Guillermo Goldstein, Lawren Sack, N. Michele Holbrook, Zhi-Hui Liu, Ai-Ying Wang, Rhett D. Harrison, Zhi-Hui Su, and Kun-Fang Cao. 2011. Ecology of hemiepiphytism in fig species is based on evolutionary correlation of hydraulics and carbon economy. Ecology 92:2117–2130. [doi:10.1890/11-0269.1]

 

 Hao Guang-You; Wang Ai-Ying; Liu Zhi-Hui& KF Cao*. Differentiation in light energy dissipation between hemiepiphytic and non-hemiepiphytic Ficus species with contrasting xylem hydraulic conductivity. Tree Physiology. 31 (6): 626-636, 2011. DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpr035   

  Zhang SB, F Slik, JL Zhang & KF Cao*. 2010. Spatial patterns of wood traits in China are controlled by phylogeny and environment. Global Ecology and Biogeography. 20 (2): 241-250, 2011. DOI: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2010.00582.x

 

 Zhu，Shi-Dan and Kun-Fang Cao*. Contrasting cost-benefit strategy between lianas and trees in a tropical seasonal rain forest in Southwest China. Oecologia 163:591–599.

 

   Hao, Guang-You, Lawren Sack, Ai-Ying Wang, Kun-Fang Cao* and Guillermo Goldstein*. Differentiation of water flux and drought tolerance traits in leaves of hemiepiphytic and non-hemiepiphytic Ficus species. Functional Ecology 24:731–740.

 

 Huang，Wei, Shi-Bao Zhang and Kun-Fang Cao*. 2010. The different effects of chilling stress under moderate illumination on photosystem II compared with photosystem I and subsequent recovery in tropical tree species. Photosynthesis Research 103:175–182.

 Huang Wei; Zhang Shi-Bao; Cao Kun-Fang*. Cyclic Electron Flow Plays an Important Role in Photoprotection of Tropical Trees Illuminated at Temporal Chilling Temperature. Plant and Cell Physiology. 52 (2) SI: 297-305, 2011. DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcq166  

 

Huang Wei; Zhang Shi-Bao; Cao Kun-Fang*. Stimulation of Cyclic Electron Flow During Recovery After Chilling-Induced Photoinhibition of PSII . Plant and Cell Physiology. 51 (1): 1922-1928, 2010.DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcq144   

Hao Guang-You; Sack Lawren; Cao Kun-Fang*. et al.Differentiation of leaf water flux and drought tolerance traits in hemiepiphytic and non-hemiepiphytic Ficus tree species. Tree Physiology. 24 (4):731-740, 2010. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2010.01724.x  

Enright N. J.; Cao K. -F. Plant ecology in China. Plant Ecology. 290 (2) SI: 181-187, 2010. DOI: 10.1007/s11258-010-9802-1

Zhu Shi-Dan; Cao Kun-Fang*. Contrasting cost-benefit strategy between lianas and trees in a tropical seasonal rain forest in southwestern China . Oecologia. 163 (3): 591-599, 2010. DOI: 10.1007/s00442-010-1579-3  


Huang Wei; Zhang Shi-Bao; Cao Kun-Fang*.The different effects of chilling stress under moderate light intensity on photosystem II compared with photosystem I and subsequent recovery in tropical tree species. Photosynthesis Research. 103 (3):175-182, 2010. DOI: 10.1007/s11120-010-9539-7

Zhu Shi-Dan; Cao Kun-Fang*.Hydraulic properties and photosynthetic rates in co-occurring lianas and trees in a seasonal tropical rainforest in southwestern China . Plant Ecology. 204 (2):295-304, 2009.DOI: 10.1007/s11258-009-9592-5

 

Zheng, Li; Ives, Anthony; Garland, Theodore; Larget, Bret; Yu, Yang; Cao, Kunfang*. New multivariate tests for phylogenetic signal and trait correlations applied to ecophysiological phenotypes of nine Manglietia species. Functional Ecology . 23 (6):1059-1069, 2009 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2009.01596.x . 

 

Zhang, Yong-jiang, FC Meinzer, Guang-you Hao FG Scholz, SJ Bucci, AC Franco, R Villalobos-Vega, JP Giraldo, Kun-fang Cao, WA Hoffmann, & G. Goldstein. 2009. Size-dependent mortality in a Neotropical savanna tree: the role of height-related adjustments in hydraulic architecture and carbon allocation. Plant,Cell and Environment 32：1456–1466（doi:10.1111/j.1365-3040.2009.02012.x).

 

Chen, Jun-Wen, Qiang Zhang and Kun-Fang Cao*. 2009. Independence of stem and leaf hydraulic traits in six Euphorbiaceae tree species with contrasting leaf phenology. Planta 230:459–468 (DOI 10.1007/s00425-009-0959-6).

 

Zhang, Qiang, Jun-Wen Chen, Bao-Gui Li, Kun-Fang Cao*. 2009. Epiphytes and hemiepiphytes have slower photosynthetic responses to lightflecks than terrestrial plants, evidences from tropical ferns and figs. Journal of Tropical Ecology 25:465–472

 

Fan, Ze-Xin, Achim Bräuning, Kun-Fang Cao & Shi-Dan Zhu. 2009. Growth-climate responses of high-elevation conifers in the central Hengduan Mountains, southwestern China. Forest Ecology and Management 258: 306–313

 

Hao, G-Y, T.J. Jones, C. Luton, Y.-J. Zhang, E. Manzane, F.G. Scholz, S. J. Bucci, K.-F. Cao and G. Goldstein. 2009. Hydraulic redistribution in dwarf Rhizophora mangle trees driven by interstitial soil water salinity gradients: impacts on hydraulic architecture and gas exchange. Tree Physiology 29(5): 697-705.

 

Zhang, Jiao-Lin and Kun-Fang Cao*. 2009. Stem hydraulics mediates leaf water status, carbon gain, nutrient use efficiencies and plant growth rates across dipterocarp species. Functional Ecology 23: 658–667 (doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2009.01552.x)

 

Zhu, Shi-Dan and Kun-Fang Cao*. 2009. Hydraulic properties and photosynthetic rates in co-occurring lianas and trees in a seasonal tropical rainforest in southwestern China. Plant Ecology 204:295–304 (DOI: 10.1007/s11258-009-9592-5).

 

Zhang, Q., J.-W Chen, B.-G. Li, and K.-F. Cao*. 2009. The effects of drought on photosynthesis in two epiphytic and two terrestrial tropical fern species. Photosynthetica 47 (1): 128-132.

 

Fan, Ze-Xin, Achim Bräuning, Bao Yang, Kun-Fang Cao. 2009. Tree ring density-based warm-season temperature reconstruction for the central Hengduan Mountains in southern China. Global and Planetary Change 65: 1–11.

 

Fan, Ze-Xin, Kun-Fang Cao, Peter Becker. 2009. Axial and radial variations in xylem anatomy of angiosperm and conifer trees in Yunnan, China. IAWA Journal 30 (1): 1–13.

 

 ·J.-L. Zhang, L.-Z. Meng and K.-F. Cao*  Sustained diurnal photosynthetic depression in uppermost-canopy leaves of four dipterocarp species in the rainy and dry seasons: does photorespiration play a role in photoprotection?  Tree Physiology 29(2):217-228 (2009). doi:10.1093/treephys/tpn018

 

 ·Jiao-Lin Zhang and Kun-Fang Cao*  Stem hydraulics mediates leaf water status, carbon gain, nutrient use efficiencies and plant growth rates across dipterocarp species  Functional Ecology  doi:10.1111/j.1365-2435.2009.01552.x

Zhu, Shi-Dan and Kun-Fang Cao*. 2009. Hydraulic properties and photosynthetic rates in co-occurring lianas and trees in a seasonal tropical rainforest in southwestern China. Plant Ecology 204:295–304 (DOI: 10.1007/s11258-009-9592-5).

Zhang, Q., J.-W Chen, B.-G. Li, and K.-F. Cao*. 2009. The effects of drought on photosynthesis in two epiphytic and two terrestrial tropical fern species. Photosynthetica 47 (1): 128-132.

Fan, Ze-Xin, Achim Bräuning, Bao Yang, Kun-Fang Cao. 2009. Tree ring density-based warm-season temperature reconstruction for the central Hengduan Mountains in southern China. Global and Planetary Change 65: 1–11.

Fan, Ze-Xin, Kun-Fang Cao, Peter Becker. 2009. Axial and radial variations in xylem anatomy of angiosperm and conifer trees in Yunnan, China. IAWA Journal 30 (1): 1–13.

Zhang J.-L. L.-Z. Meng and K.-F. Cao*. 2009. Sustained diurnal photosynthetic depression in upmost canopy leaves of four dipterocarp species in the rainy and dry seasons: does photorespiration play a role in photoprotection? Tree Physiology 29: 217–228.

Zhu, Jun-Jie, Jiao-Lin Zhang, Hong-Cheng Liu and Kun-Fang Cao*. 2009. Photosynthesis, non-photochemical pathways and activities of antioxidant enzymes in a resilient evergreen oak under different climatic conditions from a valley-savanna in Southwest China. Physiologia Plantarum 135: 62–72.

Fan, Ze-Xin, Achim Bräuning & Kun-Fang Cao. 2008. Tree-ring based drought reconstruction in the central Hengduan Mountain region (China) since A.D. 1655. International Journal of Climatology 28：1879-1887.

Chen, Ya-Jun, Frans Bongers, Kun-Fang Cao and Zhi-quan Cai 2008. Above- and below-ground competition in high and low irradiance: tree seedling responses to a competing liana Byttneria grandifolia. Journal of Tropical Ecology 24:517–524.

 

Bai Kun-Dong, Liao, De-Bao, Jiang, De-Bing & Cao, Kun-Fang*. 2008. Photosynthetic induction in leaves of co-occurring Fagus lucida and Castanopsis lamontii saplings grown in contrasting light environments. Trees: Stucture and Function 22:449–462.

 

Hao, G-Y.,W. A. Hoffmann, F. G. Scholz, S. J. Bicci, F. C. Meinzer, A. C. Franco, K-F Cao and G. Goldstein. 2008. Stem and leaf hydraulics of congeneric tree species   from adjacent tropical savanna and forest ecosystems. Oecologia 155: 405–415.

 

·B. Wilske, K.-F. Cao, G. Schebeske, J.-W. Chen, A. Wang, J. Kesselmeier 2007. Isoprenoid emissions of trees in a tropical rainforest in Xishuangbanna, SW China. Atmospheric Environment 41: 3748–3757. (download)

 

·X.R. GUO , K.F. CAO , and Z.F. XU 2006. Acclimation to irradiance in seedlings of three tropical rain forest Garcinia species after simulated gap formation. PHOTOSYNTHETICA 44 (2): 193-201 (download)

·K.-F. CAO*,Y.-H. GUO and Z.-Q. CAI 2006. Photosynthesis and antioxidant enzyme activity in breadfruit, jackfruit and mangosteen in Southern Yunnan, China, Journal of Horticultural Science & Biotechnology (2006) 81 (1) 168–172 (download)

·Y.-L. FENG and K.-F. CAO 2005. Photosynthesis and photoinhibition after night chilling in seedlings of two tropical tree species grown under three irradiances. PHOTOSYNTHETICA 43 (4): 567-574 (download)

·Z.-Q. CAI , Y.-J. CHEN, Y.-H. GUO, and K.-F. CAO 2005. Responses of two field-grown coffee species to drought and re-hydration. PHOTOSYNTHETICA 43 (2): 187-193 (download)

·Guo Yu-Hua & Kun-Fang Cao*,2004. Effect of night chilling on photosynthesis of two coffee species grown under different irradiances. J. Horticultural Science & Biotechnology 79(5) 713-716 (download)

·Feng, Yu-Long, Kun-fang Cao* & Jiao-lin Zhang, 2004. Photosynthetic characteristics, dark respiration, and leaf mass per unit area in seedlings of four tropical tree species grown under three irradiances. Photosynthetica 42(3). 431-437 (download)

·Feng, Yu-Long, Kun-fang Cao* & Zhi-Li Feng, 2002. Thermal dissipation, leaf rolling and inactivation of PSII reaction centres in Amomum villosum. Journal of Tropical Ecology 18：865-876 (download)

·Cao, Kun-Fang, 2001. Morphology and growth of deciduous and evergreen saplings under different light conditions in a Chinese beech forest with dense bamboo undergrowth. Ecological Research 16:509-517 (download)

·Cao, Kun-Fang & Booth, W.E.2001. Leaf anatomical structure and photosynthetic induction for seedlings of five dipterocarp species under contrasting light conditions in a Bornean heath forest. Journal of Tropical Ecology 17（2）：163-176 (download)

·Cao, Kun-Fang 2000. Leaf anatomy and chlorophyll content of twelve woody species growing in contrasting light conditions in a Bornean heath forest. Canadian Journal of Botany 78(10):1245-1253 (download)

Cao, Kun-Fang 2000. Water relations and gas exchange of tropical saplings during a prolonged drought in a Bornean heath forest, with reference to root architecture. Journal of Tropical Ecology 16:101-116 (download)

·Cao, Kun-Fang & Ohkubo, T. 1999. Suppression and release during canopy recruitment in Fagus crenata and Acer mono in two old-growth forests in Japan. Plant Ecology (formerly Vegetatio) 145:281-290 (download)

·Cao, Kun-Fang & R. Peters. 1998. Structure and stem growth of multi-stemmed trees of Fagus engleriana in China. Plant Ecology: 139 (2): 211-220 (download)

·Cao, Kun-Fang, Ohkubo, T., 1998. Allometry, root/shoot ratio and root architecture in understorey saplings of deciduous dicotyledonous trees in central Japan. Ecological Research 13 (2): 217-227 (download)

·Cao, Kun-Fang, Peters, R. 1997. Species diversity of Chinese beech forests in relation to warmth and climatic disturbances. Ecological Research 12: 175-189

·Cao, Kun-Fang, 1995. Fagus dominance in Chinese montane forests: natural regeneration of Fagus lucida and Fagus hayatae var. pashanica. Doctoral thesis, Wageningen Agricultural University. ISBN: 90-5485-330-1

Community service:
  ·Member of Provincial Committee of Yunnan People’s Political Consultative Conference ·Member of the Editorial Board of Forest Ecology and Management (since December 2002.) ·Member of the Editorial Board for Journal of Plant Ecology (formerly Acta Phytoecologica Sinica) (Since March 1999) ·Member of the Editorial Board for Biodiversity Science (since July 1999) ·Member of the Committee of Plant Ecology, the Botanical Society of China (since 1998) ·Member of International Association of Vegetation, Botanical Society of China, International Society for Ecology, Ecological Society of China, and Chinese Society of Forestry.

Commitment to research the situation: