Chenxin Feng

I'm a soil ecologist with a strong focus on priming effect, which describes the changes in soil organic carbon mineralization after fresh organic matter inputs and is a major component of the soil carbon cycle.

In my previous research I explored the different factors influencing the magnitude and direction of priming, especially the influence of warming. And my main finding being that temperature would regulate the dominant microbial activities based on soil N and P availability, resulting in priming of different magnitudes. 

Now I'm focusing on the seasonal dynamics of priming in arctic tundra soils. According to varing aboitic environment and plant phenological stages, a potential difference in microorganism composition could occur on the seasonal gradient, subsequently inducing different patterns of priming and N mineralization, therefore influencing the synchronization of plants and soils. That's why revealing this process is crutial to better predicting the whole year climate feedbacks, especially in the N-limited arctic ecosystems.