Albert Novas Somanje | Sustainable Agriculture | Sustainable Agriculture Innovation Award

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Dr. Albert Novas Somanje | Sustainable Agriculture | Sustainable Agriculture Innovation Award

Ministry of Agriculture | Zambia

Albert Novas Somanje is an agricultural sustainability specialist with over 18 years of experience in climate-resilient farming systems, policy engagement, and institutional capacity building. He holds a PhD in Sustainability Science from the United Nations University and advanced training in climate change and development. Currently serving as Principal Agricultural Officer in Zambia’s Ministry of Agriculture, he has led national and provincial programs in conservation agriculture, sustainable mechanization, and ecosystem restoration in collaboration with FAO, UNDP, and WFP. His research focuses on climate-smart technologies, sustainable intensification, and extension systems, with international recognition through DAAD fellowship, peer-reviewed publications, and IPCC AR6 contributions, advancing evidence-based agricultural transformation.

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Featured Publications

Jing Guo | Plant Ecology | Excellence in Plant Ecology

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Dr. Jing Guo | Plant Ecology | Excellence in Plant Ecology

Zhejiang A&F University | China

Dr. Jing Guo is a lecturer at the College of Landscape Architecture, Zhejiang A&F University, specializing in community ecology, biodiversity conservation, and plant–microbe interactions. She earned her Ph.D. in Ecology from Northeast Normal University in 2019, completing part of her doctoral research at Pennsylvania State University as a Joint Ph.D. Candidate, after receiving her bachelor’s degree from the same institution. Prior to her current appointment, she conducted postdoctoral research at Zhejiang University, where she investigated plant–soil–microbe feedbacks and forest ecosystem processes. Dr. Guo has contributed to several major national and provincial research programs, including the National Key R&D Program, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Young Scientists Fund), and the Zhejiang Provincial Science and Technology Exploration Program, serving both as principal investigator and collaborator. She has published extensively in high-impact journals such as Communications Biology, Plants, Forests, Plant and Soil, and Ecological Engineering, contributing to an estimated. With growing recognition for her research in fragmented forest ecosystems and microbial ecology, Dr. Guo continues to advance ecological theory and applied conservation, aiming to support sustainable forest management and biodiversity resilience.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications

Guo, J., Chu, L., Ye, X., King, W. L., Shao, J., Wang, Z., Liu, J., Chen, C., & Yu, M. (2025). Low soil phosphorus and high symbiotic fungal richness inhibits plant aboveground biomass in fragmented forests in China. Communications Biology.

Liu, J., Liu, W., Wu, J., Wei, B., Guo, J., Zhong, L., & Yu, M. (2023). Responses of plant species diversity and biomass to forest management practices after pine wilt disease. Forests,.

Guo, J., Wei, B., Liu, J., Eissenstat, D. M., Yu, S., Gong, X., Wu, J., He, X., & Yu, M. (2023). Linkages between plant community composition and soil microbial diversity in Masson pine forests. Plants.

Guo, J., Gong, X., Yu, S., Wei, B., Chu, L., Liu, J., He, X., & Yu, M. (2023). Response of soil microbial diversity to forest management practices after pine wilt disease infection. Forests.

Yates, C. F., Guo, J., Bell, T. H., Fleishman, S. M., Bock, H. W., Trexler, R. V., Eissenstat, D. M., & Centinari, M. (2021). Tree-induced alterations to soil properties and rhizoplane-associated bacteria following 23 years in a common garden. Plant and Soil

Yang Liu | Plant Ecology | Best Researcher Award

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Ms. Yang Liu | Plant Ecology | Best Researcher Award

Sichuan Agriculture University | China

Liu Yang is a professor at Sichuan Agricultural University (SCAU), where she serves as Deputy Director of the Carbon Sequestration Research Centre within the College of Forestry. She holds a doctoral degree and has established a strong research agenda focusing on ecosystem ecology, soil biology, biogeochemistry, vegetation restoration and climate-change impacts in forest and grassland systems. Since joining the faculty at SCAU, she has led multiple national and provincial research programmes on alpine treeline litter-decomposition, soil microbial enzyme dynamics under warming, and ecological restoration of degraded terrain. Her work on forest-floor litter chemistry and soil microbial community responses has appeared in leading journals, and her record includes more than 114 peer-reviewed articles, over 1755 citations and an h-index of approximately 24. She has been honoured with provincial-level awards for technological progress and holds several utility-model patents addressing field-based warming simulation and nutrient-addition experiments. Committed to advancing the science and application of ecosystem restoration in southwestern China, she engages in international collaboration, graduate education and policy-relevant science. Her research contributes to understanding how forest and grassland ecosystems respond to global change and how restoration strategies can enhance resilience and carbon sequestration.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Li, Q., Chen, Y., Xu, L., Cui, X., Xu, H., Wang, L., You, C., Tian, X., He, X., & Liu, Y. (2025). Loss of plant functional group mediates microbial community assembly in litter decomposition of alpine fir forest. Global Ecology and Conservation.

Li, C., Liu, L., Wu, Z., Wang, W., Wang, S., He, X., Cui, X., Xiao, J., & Liu, Y. (2025). Millipede (Spirobolus walker) prefers feeding on a high-quality litter from a companion species when combined with Masson pine litter. Pedobiologia.

Lei, L., Zeng, J., Liu, Q., Luo, L., Ma, Z., Chen, Y., & Liu, Y. (2024). Effects of soil fauna on the home-field advantage of litter total phenol and condensed tannin decomposition. Forests.

Wang, L., Zhou, Y., Chen, Y., Xu, Z., Zhang, J., & Liu, Y. (2023). Home-field advantage and ability alter labile and recalcitrant litter carbon decomposition in an alpine forest ecotone. Plant and Soil.

Wu, A., You, C., Yin, R., Xu, Z., Zhang, L., Liu, Y., Li, H., Wang, L., Xu, L., Xu, H., et al. (2023). Forest gaps slow the humification process of fir (Abies faxoniana Rehder & E.H. Wilson) twig litter during eight years of decomposition in an alpine forest. Forests.

Kristen McNamara | Plant Stress Physiology | Best Researcher Award

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Ms. Kristen McNamara | Plant Stress Physiology | Best Researcher Award

Southern Rural Water | Australia

Kristen McNamara is an environmental scientist and climate change professional with extensive experience in natural resource management, conservation, and policy implementation. She holds a Master of Environment from The University of Melbourne, where she focused on climate adaptation, mitigation, ecosystem restoration, and circular economy principles, and a Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science) with Honors from The University of Queensland. Currently serving as Climate Change & Environment Lead at Southern Rural Water, Kristen has led initiatives to achieve net-zero emissions, developed the company’s Climate Adaptation Plan under the Climate Change Act (2017), and facilitated multi-unit committees to drive climate action. Her international experience includes serving as a youth delegate at UNFCCC COP25, coordinating coral reef and turtle conservation projects in Malaysia, and engaging in community-led environmental programs across Australia. Kristen’s research interests span climate policy, water resource management, blue carbon ecosystems, and sustainable agricultural practices. She has published multiple papers in environmental science and conservation. Recognized for leadership and innovation, she has received awards including the Dean of Science Leadership Award, the Our Catchments, Our Communities Women in Leadership Grant, and various marine conservation prizes. Kristen continues to advance sustainable environmental solutions while mentoring future leaders in climate action.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publication

McNamara, K., Greet, J., Mole, B., & Jones, C. S. (2025). Livestock grazing and dense willow shading negatively impact instream plant growth. River Research and Applications.