Yu Peng | Plant Ecology | Research Excellence Award

Prof. Dr. Yu Peng | Plant Ecology | Research Excellence Award

Minzu University | China

Yu Peng is an Associate Professor of Ecology at the College of Life & Environmental Science, Minzu University of China, Beijing. He earned his Ph.D. in Ecology from the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2005), followed by a post-doctoral appointment at Tsinghua University. His teaching spans courses such as Landscape Ecology, Biodiversity Conservation, Remote Sensing and GIS, and Plant Biology. Dr. Peng leads research in landscape ecology, biodiversity conservation, and vegetation remote sensing, with a strong focus on plant-diversity estimation using UAV and hyperspectral techniques. He has presided over multiple national research projects and published about 80 research papers, including 49 in SCI-indexed journals, along with authoring three monographs. His Google Scholar profile reports an h-index of 18 and over 978 citations, and his ResearchGate profile lists 75 scientific documents, reflecting his substantial scholarly output. Dr. Peng also holds several invention patents and contributed to formulating China’s national standard for estimating plant diversity using UAV remote sensing. His achievements have earned him distinctions such as the Wiley China Open Science High Contribution Author, teaching awards, and recognition as Best Reviewer by Acta Ecologica Sinica. He additionally serves in key academic roles, including Deputy Secretary-General of the Long-term Ecology Committee of the Chinese Ecological Society and Director of the Beijing Biodiversity Research Association. His work continues to integrate advanced remote sensing technologies with practical conservation strategies, reinforcing his commitment to ecological restoration and sustainable biodiversity management.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Xin, J., Li, J., Zeng, Q., Peng, Y., Wang, Y., Teng, X., Bao, Q., Yang, L., Tang, H., Liu, Y., et al. (2024). High-precision estimation of plant alpha diversity in different ecosystems based on Sentinel-2 data. Ecological Indicators.

Cao, Y., Peng, Y., Li, J., Yuan, J., Wang, C., Bao, Q., & Li, G. (2024). Landscape connection and patch complexity explain plant community similarity in sandy grasslands better than habitat amount and landscape heterogeneity via network analysis. Community Ecology.

Xin, J., Peng, Y., Peng, N., Yang, L., Huang, J., Yuan, J., Wei, B., & Ren, Y. (2024). Both class- and landscape-level patterns influence crop yield. European Journal of Agronomy.

Peng, Y., Xin, J., Peng, N., Li, Y., Huang, J., Zhang, R., Li, C., Wu, Y., Gong, B., & Wang, R. (2024). Global patterns and drivers of spatial autocorrelation in plant communities in protected areas. Diversity and Distributions.

Jin, H., Xu, J., Peng, Y., Xin, J., Peng, N., Li, Y., Huang, J., Zhang, R., Li, C., Wu, Y., et al. (2023). Impacts of landscape patterns on plant species diversity at a global scale. Science of The Total Environment.

Dani Sarsekova | Agricultural Science | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Dani Sarsekova | Agricultural Science | Best Researcher Award

Kazakh National Agrarian Research University | Kazakhstan

Prof. Dani Nurgisaevna Sarsekova is a distinguished Doctor of Agricultural Sciences and Professor, currently serving as Dean of the Faculty of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment at Kazakh National Agrarian Research University. She completed her forestry education at the Kazakh Agricultural Institute, pursued postgraduate studies at the Kazakh Research Institute of Forestry and Agroforestry, and later earned her doctoral degree at the Ural Forest Engineering University. With an h-index of 7, more than 29 scientific documents, and over 153 citations, she has made notable contributions to forestry science and environmental sustainability. Her research covers intensive mini-rotational forest plantations for energy purposes, carbon sequestration, shelter-belt agroforestry, and artificial mycorrhization of forest tree seedlings. She has co-authored significant works on ectomycorrhizal fungi in northeastern Kazakhstan and the role of artificial mycorrhiza in improving Siberian spruce growth. As the leader of major national and international projects—including Astana’s green-belt development, landscape-ecological assessments, and environmental cooperation within the Silk Road Economic Belt—she has advanced ecological restoration and climate-resilient forest management. Her achievements include securing third place in an international competition for the “Best Textbook” in agricultural and forestry sciences, underscoring her lasting impact on forestry education and research.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Wang, G., Ge, X., Lü, D., Zhang, Z., Wang, L., Sun, S., Jia, X., Zhang, B., Kuanysh, K., Sarsekova, D., et al. (2025).
Insecticidal activity of Angelica archangelica essential oil and transcriptomic analysis of Sitophilus zeamais in response to oil fumigation. Biology, 14(11), 1606. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14111606

Wang, G., Lü, D., Ge, X., Zhang, Z., Meng, F., Chen, L., Kuanysh, K., Li, X., Zhang, B., Sarsekova, D., et al. (2025).
Insecticidal activity of Eupatorium fortunei essential oil against Schizaphis graminum and its effects on detoxification enzymes. Insects, 16(11), 1141. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16111141

Sarsekova, D., & Satybaldiyeva, G. (2025). Field assessment and functional evaluation of agricultural shelterbelts in Akmola Region of Kazakhstan. SilvaWorld, 4(2), Article 373. https://doi.org/10.61326/silvaworld.v4i2.373

Aishuk, Y., Sarsekova, D., Sezai, E., & Shegenov, S. (2024). Bactericidal properties of phytoncides of Cotoneaster melanocarpus Fisch. ex. Blytt of the Akmola Region. 3i Intellect Idea Innovation, 4, 128. https://doi.org/10.52269/22266070_2024_4_128

Sarsekova, D. N., Perzadayeva, A. A., Sagin, J., Toktasynov, Zh., & Satybaldieva, G. (2024). Monitoring of forest shelter belts on agricultural lands of KazGer LLP and determining places of accumulation of melt drainage water. Bulletin of the Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University,