About

Yusheng Luo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Cornell University. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2019. His research focuses on dynamics and geometry, particularly the dynamics of rational maps on the Riemann sphere, the associated moduli space, and their interactions with Kleinian groups, hyperbolic geometry, Teichmüller theory, and Berkovich dynamics. His work explores the deformation space analogies between Kleinian reflection groups and antiholomorphic rational maps, as well as the boundaries of hyperbolic components, rational map degenerations, and the inhomogeneity of the Mandelbrot set. Luo has contributed to the understanding of complex dynamics through his publications and research in these areas.

Research topics

• Environmental science
• Biology
• Ecology
• Political Science
• Soil science
• Chemistry
• Medicine

Selected publications

• Microbial carbon use efficiency promotes global soil carbon storage

  Nature · 2023 · 765 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Environmental science
  • Soil science
  • Ecology

  . Here we examine the relationship between CUE and the preservation of SOC, and interactions with climate, vegetation and edaphic properties, using a combination of global-scale datasets, a microbial-process explicit model, data assimilation, deep learning and meta-analysis. We find that CUE is at least four times as important as other evaluated factors, such as carbon input, decomposition or vertical transport, in determining SOC storage and its spatial variation across the globe. In addition, CUE shows a positive correlation with SOC content. Our findings point to microbial CUE as a major determinant of global SOC storage. Understanding the microbial processes underlying CUE and their environmental dependence may help the prediction of SOC feedback to a changing climate.

  DOI

• Meta-analysis of the impacts of global change factors on soil microbial diversity and functionality

  Nature Communications · 2020 · 884 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Political Science
  • Environmental science
  • Ecology

  Biodiversity on the Earth is changing at an unprecedented rate due to a variety of global change factors (GCFs). However, the effects of GCFs on microbial diversity is unclear despite that soil microorganisms play a critical role in biogeochemical cycling. Here, we synthesize 1235 GCF observations worldwide and show that microbial rare species are more sensitive to GCFs than common species, while GCFs do not always lead to a reduction in microbial diversity. GCFs-induced shifts in microbial alpha diversity can be predominately explained by the changed soil pH. In addition, GCF impacts on soil functionality are explained by microbial community structure and biomass rather than the alpha diversity. Altogether, our findings of GCF impacts on microbial diversity are fundamentally different from previous knowledge for well-studied plant and animal communities, and are crucial to policy-making for the conservation of microbial diversity hotspots under global changes.

  DOI

• Global meta-analysis shows pervasive phosphorus limitation of aboveground plant production in natural terrestrial ecosystems

  Nature Communications · 2020 · 723 citations

  • Environmental science
  • Ecology
  • Biology

  Phosphorus (P) limitation of aboveground plant production is usually assumed to occur in tropical regions but rarely elsewhere. Here we report that such P limitation is more widespread and much stronger than previously estimated. In our global meta-analysis, almost half (46.2%) of 652 P-addition field experiments reveal a significant P limitation on aboveground plant production. Globally, P additions increase aboveground plant production by 34.9% in natural terrestrial ecosystems, which is 7.0-15.9% higher than previously suggested. In croplands, by contrast, P additions increase aboveground plant production by only 13.9%, probably because of historical fertilizations. The magnitude of P limitation also differs among climate zones and regions, and is driven by climate, ecosystem properties, and fertilization regimes. In addition to confirming that P limitation is widespread in tropical regions, our study demonstrates that P limitation often occurs in other regions. This suggests that previous studies have underestimated the importance of altered P supply on aboveground plant production in natural terrestrial ecosystems.

  DOI

Recent grants

• Development of a Data Assimilation Capability Towards Ecological Forecasting in a Data-Rich Era

  NSF · $1.1M · 2009–2013

• LTREB: Effects of Warming and Clipping on Coupling of Carbon and Water Cycles in a Tallgrass Prairie

  NSF · $463k · 2008–2015

• Collaborative Research: Grassland Sensitivity to Climate Change at Local to Regional Scales: Assessing the Role of Ecosystem Attributes vs. Environmental Context

  NSF · $55k · 2017–2018

• Workshop: Data-Model Assimilation in Ecology: Techniques and Applications, July 2007

  NSF · $48k · 2007–2009

• RCN: Forecasts Of Resource and Environmental Changes: data Assimilation Science and Technology (FORECAST)

  NSF · $500k · 2009–2017

Frequent coauthors

• Shuli Niu

  Chinese Academy of Sciences

  147 shared

• Philippe Ciais

  Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement

  89 shared

• Xuhui Zhou

  72 shared

• Ji Chen

  72 shared

• Peter B. Reich

  University of Minnesota

  67 shared

• Richard J. Norby

  University of Tennessee at Knoxville

  66 shared

• Lifen Jiang

  Cornell University

  65 shared

• Christopher B. Field

  Palo Alto Institute

  63 shared

Similar researchers at Cornell University

• Edward Bucklerh-182
• Robert Sternbergh-168
• John P. Mooreh-153
• Olivier Elementoh-150
• Andy Clarkh-142