Applied research

Projects

Selected projects connecting environmental models, climate data, field observations, GIS, and machine learning to actionable watershed and land-management questions.

Selected projects

Climate & Agriculture

USDA-ARS · Grazinglands Research Laboratory 2020–2021

Climate-Sensitive Agricultural Management & Erosion Prediction

Simulated impacts of storm intensification and climate change on crop yield and soil loss under multiple tillage systems using WEPP and Python automation.

  • WEPP
  • Python
  • Climate Ensembles
  • CLIGEN
Role

Model development · Workflow automation · Data analysis · Visualization and manuscript preparation

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Funding

USDA Agricultural Research Service

Technical components

  • Climate-data processing
  • Batch simulation
  • Cropping and tillage scenarios
  • Runoff, soil-loss, and yield assessment

Watershed Modeling

U.S. EPA · Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center 2017–2020

Advancing Streamflow Prediction with SWAT & Machine Learning

Developed hybrid SWAT–SVR and SWAT–Wavelet models to improve streamflow and sediment predictions while supporting EPA watershed and water-quality tool evaluation.

  • SWAT / SWAT-CUP
  • SVR
  • Wavelet
  • GIS
Role

Model development · Data processing · Machine-learning integration · Statistical evaluation and manuscript preparation

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Funding

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Technical components

  • Hydrologic calibration
  • Machine-learning integration
  • Multi-site evaluation
  • Performance visualization

GIS & Education

University–industry collaboration 2012

GIS Education & Technology Development

Developed GIS-based educational systems through university–industry collaboration, supporting interactive instruction, spatial analysis, and geographic visualization.

  • ArcEngine
  • Visual C#
  • WebGIS
Explore teaching technology

Soil Erosion & GIS

Chinese Academy of Sciences 2011–2013

Soil Erosion & GIS-Based Risk Mapping in the Loess Plateau

Principal Investigator of a rill-erosion modeling project using 3D Cellular Automata and GIS, validated through laboratory and field rainfall experiments and 3D laser scanning.

  • Cellular Automata
  • GIS
  • 3D Laser Scanning
  • Rainfall Simulation
Role

Principal Investigator · Model development · Experimental design · Analysis and reporting

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Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China · Grant No. 41001158

Technical components

  • Rill-erosion process modeling
  • Experimental validation
  • Terrain analysis

Water Quality & GIS

Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment · Poyang Lake Basin 2011–2013

Agricultural Nonpoint-Source Pollution Risk Assessment

Developed GIS-based spatial multi-criteria models for nitrogen and phosphorus pollution-risk evaluation and created a database for watershed vulnerability zones.

  • GIS
  • Multi-Criteria Analysis
  • Geodatabase
Role

Framework development · GIS processing · Risk assessment · Database development

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Funding

Ministry of Education of China

Technical components

  • Nutrient-risk indicators
  • Watershed vulnerability mapping
  • Spatial database design

Hydro-climate Analysis

Poyang Lake Watershed 2009–2011

Climate–Hydrology–Substance Transport

Used geostatistics and wavelet analysis to simulate long-term runoff, rainfall variability, and sediment transport in the Poyang Lake Basin.

  • Geostatistics
  • Wavelet Analysis
  • GIS
  • Hydrologic Data
Role

Data processing · Statistical analysis · Hydrologic interpretation and reporting

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Funding

Chinese Academy of Sciences Knowledge Innovation Program

Technical components

  • Long-term rainfall and runoff variability
  • Sediment-transport assessment
  • Spatial analysis