Jiafu Mao

Bio

I study the response and feedback of land surface to environmental change. My work primarily involves understanding and modeling carbon cycles, hydrology, and vegetation dynamics in Earth's terrestrial ecosystems. To do this, I use field measurements, satellite data, process-oriented land surface and Earth system models, as well as various statistical methods, including machine learning and detection and attribution techniques. I am deeply committed to attributing ecosystem variations to both natural and anthropogenic drivers and focus extensively on interactions among climate, land, and humans. My work uniquely extends into the realms of wildfire science, soil moisture, urban ecosystem resilience, and geoengineering, offering insights into the relationships between human activity and natural systems. My research contributions have been recognized through publications in prestigious journals such as the Nature family of journals and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. In addition to my research endeavors, I actively mentor students and early-career researchers at both Oak Ridge National Laboratory and various academic institutions.