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Ensheng Weng

Photo of ENSHENG WENG

Ensheng Weng

  • Associate Research Scientist
  • NASA GISS
  • 2880 Broadway
  • Employer: TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

    • Research Interests

    Terrestrial ecosystem and carbon cycle modeling

    My research focuses on the modeling of terrestrial ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, and their responses to climate change. I use mathematical modeling, simulation of ecosystem processes, and game theory to understand plant demographic and eco-physiological processes and their effects on ecosystem structure, carbon, nutrient, and water cycles across various scales. I also use data assimilation approaches to improve model parameterization and analyze model structure and uncertainty.

    Positions/Employment

    10/2016 - Present

    Associate Research Scientist

    Columbia University/NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 2880 Broadway, New York, NY

    Vegetation modeling

    6/2011 - 9/2016

    Post-doctoral Research Associate

    Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540

    Modeling forest dynamics based on competition and plant traits

    Education

    • 8/2007~ 5/2011: PhD, University of Oklahoma 
    • 8/2001~2/2005: PhD, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences 
    • 8/1998~ 7/2001: Master of Science, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • 9/1993-7/1997: Bachelor of Science, Department of Biology, Shaanxi Normal University
       

    Selected Publications

    Refereed

    Miller, R. L., G. A. Schmidt, L. Nazarenko, et al. S. E. Bauer, M. Kelley, R. Ruedy, G. L. Russell, A. Ackerman, I. Aleinov, M. Bauer, R. Bleck, V. Canuto, G. Cesana, Y. Cheng, T. L. Clune, B. Cook, C. A. Cruz, A. D. Del Genio, G. S. Elsaesser, G. Faluvegi, N. Y. Kiang, D. Kim, A. A. Lacis, A. Leboissetier, A. N. LeGrande, K. K. Lo, J. Marshall, E. E. Matthews, S. McDermid, K. Mezuman, L. T. Murray, V. Oinas, C. Orbe, C. P. García‐Pando, J. P. Perlwitz, M. J. Puma, D. Rind, A. Romanou, D. T. Shindell, S. Sun, N. Tausnev, K. Tsigaridis, G. Tselioudis, E. Weng, J. Wu, and M. Yao. 2021. "CMIP6 Historical Simulations (1850‐2014) with GISS‐E2.1." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 13: e2019MS002034 [10.1029/2019ms002034]

    Wilcox, K. R., K. J. Komatsu, M. L. Avolio, et al. W. D. Bowman, E. Butler, S. L. Collins, J. S. Dukes, R. Fisher, T. F. Keenan, N. Y. Kiang, A. K. Knapp, S. E. Koerner, L. Kueppers, N. P. Lemoine, G. Liang, M. E. Loik, Y. Luo, B. Poulter, P. B. Reich, K. Renwick, M. Smith, A. Tredennick, A. P. Walker, and E. Weng. 2020. "Improving collaborations between empiricists and modelers to advance grassland community dynamics in ecosystem models." New Phytologist, 228 (5): 1467-1471 [10.1111/nph.16900]

    Kelley, M., G. A. Schmidt, L. S. Nazarenko, et al. S. E. Bauer, R. Ruedy, G. L. Russell, A. S. Ackerman, I. Aleinov, M. Bauer, R. Bleck, V. Canuto, G. Cesana, Y. Cheng, T. L. Clune, B. I. Cook, C. A. Cruz, A. D. Del Genio, G. S. Elsaesser, G. Faluvegi, N. Y. Kiang, D. Kim, A. A. Lacis, A. Leboissetier, A. N. LeGrande, K. K. Lo, J. Marshall, E. E. Matthews, S. McDermid, K. Mezuman, R. L. Miller, L. T. Murray, V. Oinas, C. Orbe, C. P. García‐Pando, J. P. Perlwitz, M. J. Puma, D. Rind, A. Romanou, D. T. Shindell, S. Sun, N. Tausnev, K. Tsigaridis, G. Tselioudis, E. Weng, J. Wu, and M. Yao. 2020. "GISS‐E2.1: Configurations and Climatology." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 12 (8): [10.1029/2019ms002025]

    Weng, E., R. Dybzinski, C. E. Farrior, and S. W. Pacala. 2019. "Competition alters predicted forest carbon cycle responses to nitrogen availability and elevated CO2: simulations using an explicitly competitive, game-theoretic vegetation demographic model." Biogeosciences, 16 (23): 4577-4599 [10.5194/bg-16-4577-2019]

    Xu, C., N. G. McDowell, R. A. Fisher, et al. L. Wei, S. Sevanto, B. O. Christoffersen, E. Weng, and R. S. Middleton. 2019. "Increasing impacts of extreme droughts on vegetation productivity under climate change." Nature Climate Change, 9 (12): 948-953 [10.1038/s41558-019-0630-6]

    Du, Z., E. Weng, L. Jiang, et al. Y. Luo, J. Xia, and X. Zhou. 2018. "Carbon–nitrogen coupling under three schemes of model representation: a traceability analysis." Geoscientific Model Development, 11 (11): 4399-4416 [10.5194/gmd-11-4399-2018]

    Fisher, R. A., C. D. Koven, W. R. Anderegg, et al. B. O. Christoffersen, M. C. Dietze, C. E. Farrior, J. A. Holm, G. C. Hurtt, R. G. Knox, P. J. Lawrence, J. W. Lichstein, M. Longo, A. M. Matheny, D. Medvigy, H. C. Muller-Landau, T. L. Powell, S. P. Serbin, H. Sato, J. K. Shuman, B. Smith, A. T. Trugman, T. Viskari, H. Verbeeck, E. Weng, C. Xu, X. Xu, T. Zhang, and P. R. Moorcroft. 2018. "Vegetation demographics in Earth System Models: A review of progress and priorities." Global Change Biology, 24 (1): 35-54 [10.1111/gcb.13910]

    Weng, E., C. E. Farrior, R. Dybzinski, and S. W. Pacala. 2017. "Predicting vegetation type through physiological and environmental interactions with leaf traits: evergreen and deciduous forests in an earth system modeling framework." Global Change Biology, 23 (6): 2482-2498 [10.1111/gcb.13542]

    Medlyn, B. E., S. Zaehle, M. G. De Kauwe, et al. A. P. Walker, M. C. Dietze, P. J. Hanson, T. Hickler, A. K. Jain, Y. Luo, W. Parton, I. C. Prentice, P. E. Thornton, S. Wang, Y.-P. Wang, E. Weng, C. M. Iversen, H. R. McCarthy, J. M. Warren, R. Oren, and R. J. Norby. 2015. "Using ecosystem experiments to improve vegetation models." Nature Climate change, 5 (6): 528-534 [10.1038/nclimate2621]

    Weng, E., S. Malyshev, J. W. Lichstein, et al. C. E. Farrior, R. Dybzinski, T. Zhang, E. Shevliakova, and S. W. Pacala. 2015. "Scaling from individual trees to forests in an Earth system modeling framework using a mathematically tractable model of height-structured competition." Biogeosciences, 12 (9): 2655-2694 [10.5194/bg-12-2655-2015]

    Weng, E., Y. Luo, W. Wang, et al. H. Wang, D. J. Hayes, A. D. McGuire, A. Hastings, and D. S. Schimel. 2012. "Ecosystem carbon storage capacity as affected by disturbance regimes: A general theoretical model." Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 117 (G3): n/a--n/a [10.1029/2012JG002040]

    Gao, C., H. Wang, E. Weng, et al. S. Lakshmivarahan, Y. Zhang, and Y. Luo. 2011. "Assimilation of multiple data sets with the ensemble Kalman filter to improve forecasts of forest carbon dynamics." Ecological Applications, 21 (5): 1461--1473 [10.1890/09-1234.1]

    Weng, E., Y. Luo, C. Gao, and R. Oren. 2011. "Uncertainty analysis of forest carbon sink forecast with varying measurement errors: a data assimilation approach." Journal of Plant Ecology, 4 (3): 178-191 [10.1093/jpe/rtr018]

    Weng, E., and Y. Luo. 2011. "Relative information contributions of model vs. data to short- and long-term forecasts of forest carbon dynamics." Ecological Applications, 21 (5): 1490--1505 [10.1890/09-1394.1]

    Sherry, R. A., E. Weng, J. A. Arnone, et al. D. W. Johnson, D. S. Schimel, P. S. Verburg, L. L. Wallace, and Y. Luo. 2008. "Lagged effects of experimental warming and doubled precipitation on annual and seasonal aboveground biomass production in a tallgrass prairie." Global Change Biology, 14 (12): 2923--2936 [10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01703.x]

    Weng, E., and Y. Luo. 2008. "Soil hydrological properties regulate grassland ecosystem responses to multifactor global change: A modeling analysis." Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 113 (G3): n/a--n/a [10.1029/2007JG000539]

    Selected Publications

    Refereed

    Miller, R. L., G. A. Schmidt, L. Nazarenko, et al. S. E. Bauer, M. Kelley, R. Ruedy, G. L. Russell, A. Ackerman, I. Aleinov, M. Bauer, R. Bleck, V. Canuto, G. Cesana, Y. Cheng, T. L. Clune, B. Cook, C. A. Cruz, A. D. Del Genio, G. S. Elsaesser, G. Faluvegi, N. Y. Kiang, D. Kim, A. A. Lacis, A. Leboissetier, A. N. LeGrande, K. K. Lo, J. Marshall, E. E. Matthews, S. McDermid, K. Mezuman, L. T. Murray, V. Oinas, C. Orbe, C. P. García‐Pando, J. P. Perlwitz, M. J. Puma, D. Rind, A. Romanou, D. T. Shindell, S. Sun, N. Tausnev, K. Tsigaridis, G. Tselioudis, E. Weng, J. Wu, and M. Yao. 2021. "CMIP6 Historical Simulations (1850‐2014) with GISS‐E2.1." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 13 e2019MS002034 [10.1029/2019ms002034]

    Wilcox, K. R., K. J. Komatsu, M. L. Avolio, et al. W. D. Bowman, E. Butler, S. L. Collins, J. S. Dukes, R. Fisher, T. F. Keenan, N. Y. Kiang, A. K. Knapp, S. E. Koerner, L. Kueppers, N. P. Lemoine, G. Liang, M. E. Loik, Y. Luo, B. Poulter, P. B. Reich, K. Renwick, M. Smith, A. Tredennick, A. P. Walker, and E. Weng. 2020. "Improving collaborations between empiricists and modelers to advance grassland community dynamics in ecosystem models." New Phytologist 228 (5): 1467-1471 [10.1111/nph.16900]

    Kelley, M., G. A. Schmidt, L. S. Nazarenko, et al. S. E. Bauer, R. Ruedy, G. L. Russell, A. S. Ackerman, I. Aleinov, M. Bauer, R. Bleck, V. Canuto, G. Cesana, Y. Cheng, T. L. Clune, B. I. Cook, C. A. Cruz, A. D. Del Genio, G. S. Elsaesser, G. Faluvegi, N. Y. Kiang, D. Kim, A. A. Lacis, A. Leboissetier, A. N. LeGrande, K. K. Lo, J. Marshall, E. E. Matthews, S. McDermid, K. Mezuman, R. L. Miller, L. T. Murray, V. Oinas, C. Orbe, C. P. García‐Pando, J. P. Perlwitz, M. J. Puma, D. Rind, A. Romanou, D. T. Shindell, S. Sun, N. Tausnev, K. Tsigaridis, G. Tselioudis, E. Weng, J. Wu, and M. Yao. 2020. "GISS‐E2.1: Configurations and Climatology." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 12 (8): [10.1029/2019ms002025]

    Weng, E., R. Dybzinski, C. E. Farrior, and S. W. Pacala. 2019. "Competition alters predicted forest carbon cycle responses to nitrogen availability and elevated CO2: simulations using an explicitly competitive, game-theoretic vegetation demographic model." Biogeosciences 16 (23): 4577-4599 [10.5194/bg-16-4577-2019]

    Xu, C., N. G. McDowell, R. A. Fisher, et al. L. Wei, S. Sevanto, B. O. Christoffersen, E. Weng, and R. S. Middleton. 2019. "Increasing impacts of extreme droughts on vegetation productivity under climate change." Nature Climate Change 9 (12): 948-953 [10.1038/s41558-019-0630-6]

    Du, Z., E. Weng, L. Jiang, et al. Y. Luo, J. Xia, and X. Zhou. 2018. "Carbon–nitrogen coupling under three schemes of model representation: a traceability analysis." Geoscientific Model Development 11 (11): 4399-4416 [10.5194/gmd-11-4399-2018]

    Fisher, R. A., C. D. Koven, W. R. Anderegg, et al. B. O. Christoffersen, M. C. Dietze, C. E. Farrior, J. A. Holm, G. C. Hurtt, R. G. Knox, P. J. Lawrence, J. W. Lichstein, M. Longo, A. M. Matheny, D. Medvigy, H. C. Muller-Landau, T. L. Powell, S. P. Serbin, H. Sato, J. K. Shuman, B. Smith, A. T. Trugman, T. Viskari, H. Verbeeck, E. Weng, C. Xu, X. Xu, T. Zhang, and P. R. Moorcroft. 2018. "Vegetation demographics in Earth System Models: A review of progress and priorities." Global Change Biology 24 (1): 35-54 [10.1111/gcb.13910]

    Weng, E., C. E. Farrior, R. Dybzinski, and S. W. Pacala. 2017. "Predicting vegetation type through physiological and environmental interactions with leaf traits: evergreen and deciduous forests in an earth system modeling framework." Global Change Biology 23 (6): 2482-2498 [10.1111/gcb.13542]

    Medlyn, B. E., S. Zaehle, M. G. De Kauwe, et al. A. P. Walker, M. C. Dietze, P. J. Hanson, T. Hickler, A. K. Jain, Y. Luo, W. Parton, I. C. Prentice, P. E. Thornton, S. Wang, Y.-P. Wang, E. Weng, C. M. Iversen, H. R. McCarthy, J. M. Warren, R. Oren, and R. J. Norby. 2015. "Using ecosystem experiments to improve vegetation models." Nature Climate change 5 (6): 528-534 [10.1038/nclimate2621]

    Weng, E., S. Malyshev, J. W. Lichstein, et al. C. E. Farrior, R. Dybzinski, T. Zhang, E. Shevliakova, and S. W. Pacala. 2015. "Scaling from individual trees to forests in an Earth system modeling framework using a mathematically tractable model of height-structured competition." Biogeosciences 12 (9): 2655-2694 [10.5194/bg-12-2655-2015]

    Weng, E., Y. Luo, W. Wang, et al. H. Wang, D. J. Hayes, A. D. McGuire, A. Hastings, and D. S. Schimel. 2012. "Ecosystem carbon storage capacity as affected by disturbance regimes: A general theoretical model." Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 117 (G3): n/a--n/a [10.1029/2012JG002040]

    Gao, C., H. Wang, E. Weng, et al. S. Lakshmivarahan, Y. Zhang, and Y. Luo. 2011. "Assimilation of multiple data sets with the ensemble Kalman filter to improve forecasts of forest carbon dynamics." Ecological Applications 21 (5): 1461--1473 [10.1890/09-1234.1]

    Weng, E., Y. Luo, C. Gao, and R. Oren. 2011. "Uncertainty analysis of forest carbon sink forecast with varying measurement errors: a data assimilation approach." Journal of Plant Ecology 4 (3): 178-191 [10.1093/jpe/rtr018]

    Weng, E., and Y. Luo. 2011. "Relative information contributions of model vs. data to short- and long-term forecasts of forest carbon dynamics." Ecological Applications 21 (5): 1490--1505 [10.1890/09-1394.1]

    Sherry, R. A., E. Weng, J. A. Arnone, et al. D. W. Johnson, D. S. Schimel, P. S. Verburg, L. L. Wallace, and Y. Luo. 2008. "Lagged effects of experimental warming and doubled precipitation on annual and seasonal aboveground biomass production in a tallgrass prairie." Global Change Biology 14 (12): 2923--2936 [10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01703.x]

    Weng, E., and Y. Luo. 2008. "Soil hydrological properties regulate grassland ecosystem responses to multifactor global change: A modeling analysis." Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 113 (G3): n/a--n/a [10.1029/2007JG000539]

                                                                                                                                                                                            
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    • Last Updated: 05/31/2023