My publications focus on plant demography, forest dynamics, species range limits, ecological restoration, and biodiversity responses to environmental change. Representative papers are listed below, with links to journal pages when available.

Selected Papers

Working Papers

• Yang, X.*, …, Bialic-Murphy L. Functional traits predict tree growth and longevity responses to temperature. (under revision at Nature Ecology & Evolution)

• Yang, X.*, …, Bialic-Murphy L. Mycorrhizal context modifies trait–life-history relationships in forest trees. (in preparation)

• Bialic-Murphy L., Yang, X. Beyond the fast-slow continuum: A multidimensional life-history framework for trees. (in preparation)

• Bialic-Murphy L.*, Galen, L.G., Kivlin, S.N., …, Yang, X., Kalisz, S., Crowther, T. (2025). Fungal diversity-plant productivity relationships in the Anthropocene. (in preparation)

• Haozhi M.*, Constantin Z., Chi X., Yang, X., Lidong M., Jean-François B., Crowther, T. Tree species associations along climate gradients across the United States. (under review in Journal of Plant Ecology)

• Kong, F., Yang, X., …, Chu C.*. Predominantly negative impacts of environmental fluctuations on tree coexistence in a tropical forest. (submitted to Global Change Biology)

Peer-Reviewed Publications

2026

• Yang, X.*, Rong, L., Zuidem, P.A., …, Bialic-Murphy L. (2026). Transient amplification driven by fecundity pulses: Shifting demographic bottlenecks during the decadal recovery of a pioneer tree. Journal of Plant Ecology, rtag067. Link

• Santos G.*, Yang, X., Gascoigne S., Compagnoni A., Dias A., Tuljapurkar S., Kajin M., Salguero-Gómez R. (2026). Plant population responses to environmental variability are primarily driven by survival-reproduction trade-offs and mediated by aridity. Nature Communications Link

• Xu Y., Yang, H., Shi S., Yang, X., Huang J., Chen Z., Ding Z.*. (2026). Machine learning-based construction and network resilience assessment of wind-resistant tree species ecological networks: A case study from coastal southeast China. Journal of Environmental Management, 0301-4797. Link

• Perkowski, E.*, Carroll, K., Mutz, J., Chatterjee, S., Yang, X., Bialic-Murphy L., Kivlin, S.N., Kalisz, S., Smith, N.* (2026). The negative effects of an allelopathic invader on native plant photosynthesis are amplified after tree canopy closure. Functional Ecology，00, 1–16. Link

2025

• Yang, X., Angert, A.L., Zuidema, P.A., Santos, S.G., Lyu, S., Bialic-Murphy, L., Zhang, J.* (2025). Coexistence of tropical forest tree species along the demographic buffering spectrum. Global Change Biology, 31(6): e70310. Link

• Wen, N., Crowther, T., Du, Y.*, …, Yang, X., …, Bialic-Murphy, L. (2025). Wilderness quality, habitat connectivity, and the effectiveness of protected areas diminish as human activities intensify. Conservation Letters, 18, no. 5: e13149. Link

• Chen, W., Zhang, Y., Lv, H., Tao, Y., Ding, Y., Yang, X.*, Tian, Z.*, Li, J. (2025). Dramatic decline of wild apple population: evidence from long-term monitoring and modelling. Global Ecology & Conservation, 62, e03861. Link

• Liu, A., Liu, R., Lei, F., …, Li, S.*, Yang, X. (2025). Demographic performance and climate change response of a pioneer tree species (Pinus massoniana) during ecological restoration in subtropical China. Journal of Forestry Research, 36, 34. Link

2023

• Wang, J., Yang, X.*, Santos, S.G., Ning, H., Li, T., Zhao, W., Si, X., Lu, S., Li, S.* (2023). Flexible demographic strategies promote the population persistence of a pioneer conifer tree (Pinus massoniana) in ecological restoration. Forest Ecology and Management, 529, 120727. Link

2022

• Yang, X., Angert, A.L., Zuidema, P.A., He, F., Huang, S., Li, S., Li, S.L., Chardon, N.I., Zhang, J.* (2022). The role of demographic compensation in stabilising marginal tree populations in North America. Ecology Letters, 25, 1676–1689. Link

• Feng, L., Sun, J., El-Kassaby, Y.A., Yang, X., Tian, X., Wang, T.* (2022). Predicting potential habitat of a plant species with small populations under climate change: Ostrya rehderiana. Forests, 13: 129. Link

2021

• Zhao, W., Li, T., Cui, Y., Huang, J., Yang, X.*, Li, S.* (2021). Demographic performance of a pioneer tree species during ecological restoration in the soil erosion area of southeastern China. Global Ecology & Conservation, 32, e01936. Link

• Wang, X., Li, S.*, Huang, S., Cui, Y., Fu, H., Li, T., Zhao, W., Yang, X. (2021). Pinus massoniana population dynamics: Driving species diversity during the pioneer stage of ecological restoration. Global Ecology and Conservation, 27, e01593. Link

2020

• Hu, M., Peñuelas, J., Sardans, J. Yang, X., Tong C., Zou S.*, Cao W,* (2020). Shifts in Microbial Biomass C/N/P Stoichiometry and Bacterial Community Composition in Subtropical Estuarine Tidal Marshes Along a Gradient of Freshwater–Oligohaline Water. Ecosystems, 23, 1265–1280. Link

• Hu, M., Sardans J,. Yang, X., Peñuelas, J.*, Tong C,* (2020). Patterns and environmental drivers of greenhouse gas fluxes in the coastal wetlands of China: A systematic review and synthesis. Environmental Research, 186:109576. Link

2018

• Yang, X., Li, S.*, Shen, B., Wu, Y., Sun, S., Liu, R., Zha, R., Li, S. (2018). Demographic strategies of a dominant tree species in response to logging in a degraded subtropical forest in Southeast China. Annals of Forest Science, 75, 84. Link

• Yang, X., Li, S.*, Song, T., Wang, C., Liu, C., Wu, Y., Ning, Q., Jiang, L. (2018). Population dynamics of Pinus massoniana in the logged forestland of Changting’s eroded and degraded region. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 38, 3175–3182. (In Chinese) Link