CURRICULUM VITAE

  1. Biographical Information

Dr. YanZhao

MOE Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental System

College of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Lanzhou University

222 Tianshui Road South

Lanzhou 730000

P.R.China

Phone: +86 (931) 891-4106

FAX: +86 (931) 891-2330

E-mail:

  1. Research Interests

Paleoclimatology and paleoecology; late glacial and Holocene; pollen and macrofossil analysis of lake and wetland sediments.

C. Professional Preparation

B.Sc. in Geography, Hubei University (Wuhan, China), 1989

M.Sc. in Ecology, Hubei University, 1995

Ph.D. in Historical Physical Geography, Wuhan University, 1998

Post-DoctoralFellow,7/1998 - 10/2001, Faculty of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China (Paleoentology and paleoecology; Research Sponsor: Prof. Hongfu Yin)

Post-Doctoral Fellow, 4/2000 - 5/2001, Environmental Change Research Centre (ECRC), University CollegeLondon, London, UK. (Plant macrofossil analysis and vegetation history; Research Sponsor: Dr. Carl Sayer)

Post-Doctoral Fellow, 1/2002 - 12/2002, National Natural History Museum Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe,Germany (Pollen record and Late Holocene Environmental Change; ResearchSponsor: Dr. Adam Hoelzer)

  1. Professional Appointments

Professor, 2008-, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China

Associate Professor, 2003 - 2007, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China

Visiting Scientist, 12/2008-1/2009, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.

Visiting Scientist, 11/2007-12/2007, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Research Unit Potsdam, Germany

Visiting Scientist, 1/2007-6/2007, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.

Visiting Scientist, 12/2005-12/2006, Environmental Change Research Centre (ECRC), University College London, London, UK.

  1. Recent Publications

Zhao, Y., Yu, Z.C., Liu, X.J., Zhao, C., Chen, F.H., Zhang, K., 2010. Late Holocene Vegetation and Climate Oscillations in the Qaidam Basin of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Quaternary Research 73, 59-69.

Zhao, Y., Sun, Q.F., 2010. Reliability of pollen concentration as the indicator of effective moisture in arid and semi-arid regions of China. Journal of Arid Environments 74, 423-427.

Zhao, Y., Yu, Z.C., Zhao, C., 2010. Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) declines at 9500 and 5300 cal yr BP caused by Holocene climatic shifts in northeastern North America. The Holocene, in press.

Zhao, Y., Yu, Z.C., Chen, F.H., Zhang, J.W., Yang, B., 2009. Vegetation response to Holocene climate change in monsoon-influenced region of China. Earth-Science Reviews 97, 242-256.

Zhao, Y., Herzschuh, U., 2009. Modern pollen representation of source vegetation in the Qaidam Basin and surrounding mountains, northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany. 18, 245-260.

Zhao, Y., Xu, Q.H., Huang, X.Z., Guo, X.L., Tao, S.C., 2009. Difference of modern pollen assemblages from lake sediments and surface soils in arid and semi-arid China and their significance for pollen –based quantitative climate reconstruction. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 156, 519-524.

Zhao, Y., Yu, Z.C., Chen, F.H., 2009. Spatial and temporal patterns of Holocene vegetation and climate changes in arid and semi-arid China. Quaternary International 194, 6-18.

Zhao, Y., Yu, Z.C., Chen, F.H., Liu, X.J., Ito, E., 2008. Sensitive response of desert vegetation to moisture change based on a near-annual resolution pollen record from Gahai Lake in the Qaidam Basin, northwest China. Global and Planetary Change 62, 107-114.

Zhao, Y., Yu, Z.C., Chen, F.H., Li, J.J., 2008. Holocene vegetation and climate change from a lake sediment record in the Tengger Sandy Desert, northwest China. Journal of Arid Environments 72, 2054-2064.

Zhao, Y., Yu, Z.C., Chen, F.H., Ito, E., Zhao, C., 2007. Holocene vegetation and climate history at Hurleg Lake in the Qaidam Basin, northwest China. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 145, 275-288.

Zhao, Y., Hoelzer, A., Yu, Z.C., 2007. Late Holocene natural and human-induced environmental change reconstructed from peat records in eastern central China. Radiocarbon 49, 789-798.

Zhao, Y., Sayer, D.C., Birks, H.H. Hughes, M., Peglar, S.M., 2006. Spatial representation of aquatic vegetation by macrofossil and pollen remains in a small and shallow lake. Journal of Paleolimnology 35, 335-350.

Herzschuh, U., Birks, J., Ni, J., Zhao, Y., Liu, H.Y., 2010. Holocene land-cover changes on the Tibetan Plateau. The Holocene 20, 91-104.

Zhao, C., Yu, Z.C., Zhao, Y., Ito, E., 2009. Possible orographic and solar controls of late Holocene centennial-scale moisture oscillations in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Geophysical Research Letters 36, L21705, doi:10.1029/2009GL040951.

Chen, F.H., Yu, Z.C., Yang, M.L., Ito, E., Wang, S.M., Madsen, D.B., Huang, X.Z., Zhao, Y., Sato, T., Birks, H. J.B., Boomer, I., Chen, J.H., An, C.B. Wünnemann, B., 2008. Holocene moisture evolution in Arid Central Asia and its out-of-phase relationship with Asian monsoon history. Quaternary Science Reviews 27, 351-364.

Chen, F.H., Chen, B., Zhao, Y., Zhu, Y. and Madsen, D., 2006. Holocene environmental change inferred from high-resolution pollen records from inland lake deposits, arid China. The Holocene 16, 675 – 684.

Chen, F.H., Chen, B., An, C. B., Zhao, Y., Zhang, J.W., Madsen, D. B., Yu, Z.C., Zhu, Y., 2005. Holocene climatic variability inferred from lacustrine deposits in arid China. PAGES News 13, 7-9.

Du, Y., Cai, S.M., Zhang, X.Y. and Zhao, Y., 2001. Interpretation of the environmental change of Dongting Lake, middle reach of Yangtze River, China. Geomorphology 41, 171-181.

Cai, S.M., Zhao, Y., Du, Y., 1999. Evolution of Jianghan Lakes and regional sustainable development. Journal of Environmental Sciences 11, 294-297.

Zhao, Y., Yu, Z.C., Chen, F.H. and An, C.B., 2007. Holocene vegetation and climate changes from fossil pollen records in arid and semi-arid China. In: Madson, D., Chen, F.H., Gao, X. (Eds.), Late Quaternary Climate Change and Human Adaptation in Arid China. Developments in Quaternary Science vol.9, Elsevier, Amsterdam. (Book Chapter)

  1. Research Funding

Holocene Climatic and Environmental Change in the Qaidam Basin on the NE Tibetan Plateau, Revealed by Lacustrine Pollen Records. Chinese National Natural Science Foundation. RMB 420, 000 for three years from 1/2008 to 12/2010. Principle Investigator.

Understanding Complex Holocene Climatic Responses of the NE Tibetan Plateau to Multiple Lage-scale Forcings. Chinese Ministry of Education- Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University. RMB 500, 000for three years from 1/2008 to 12/2010. Principle Investigator.

Environmental Change and Land Surface Process in Tibetan Plateau and Central AsianDrylands. NSFC Natioal Innovative Research Team Project. RMB 155, 000 to Y. Zhao for two years from 1/2007 to 12/2008.

MIS 3 Climate Variability in the Monsoon Marginal regions from LacustrineSedimentary Records. Chinese National Natural Science Foundation.RMB 300,000for three years from 1/2004 to 12/2006. Principal Investigator.

Holocene Vegetation and Climate Change at Yema Lake, NW China. Faculty Research Grants of Lanzhou University to Y. Zhao. RMB 200, 000 for two years from 1/2004 to 12/2006.

Late Quaternary Environmental Change in Alashan Plateau, NW China. Key International Collaborative Project from Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology. RMB 100,000 to Y. Zhao for one year from 1/2003 to 12/2003.

G. Synergistic Activities

Regional Coordinator(2008-2012), INTIMATE Project (INTegrating Ice core, MArine and TErrestrial records), INQUA Palaeoclimate Commission

Project Secretary (2008-2012), RACHAD Project (RApid climate CHanges in central Asia’s Drylands), INQUA Palaeoclimate Commission

Corresponding member, INQUA Palaeoclimate Commision (PALCOMM)

Secretary, Subcommission of Arid Environments, Chinese Quaternary Research Association

Member, American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Member, International Paleolimnology Association (IPA)

Member, Chinese Geographic Society

Member, Chinese Palynological Society

Editor member, Frontier of Earth Sciences in China

H. Collaborators and Other Affiliations

Collaborators:

Zicheng(LehighUniv., USA); Emi Ito (Univ. of Minnesota, USA);Hilary Birks (Bergen Univ., Norway);Ulrike Herzschuh (Univ. of Potsdam, Germany); Thomas Litt (Univ. of Bonn, Germany)

Post-doctoral Advisors:

Hongfu Yin (China University of Geosciences, Wuhan); Carl Sayer (University CollegeLondon, London); Adam Hoelzer (National Natural History Museum, Karlsruhe, Germany);

Postgraduate Students:

M.Sc.: Jiajia Li (graduated in 2006), Xiuju Liu (graduated in 2007), Xiaoli Guo, Yunwei Zhao and Furong Li

PhD candidate: Ke Zhang.

Zhao’s CV - 1