Xiaonan Tai

Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
About Me
I am an ecohydrologist with broad interests in Earth System Science. I combine organism-level plant physiology with landscape-scale hydrological processes to understand the two-way interactions between vegetation and hydrology and how they might influence ecosystem function and resource supply in the context of novel environmental conditions. My research program uses process-based modeling and empirical approaches to combine in situ and remote sensing observations in order to answer questions related to 1) What are the mechanisms underlying ecosystem response to anticipated warming and drought? 2) How do biotic diversity and abiotic heterogeneity influence ecosystem resilience and resource sustainability to changing climate? 3) How to increase ecosystem resilience through effective management strategies? I received Ph.D. (Geography) at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2018, and B.S. (Natural resources and Environment) at Wuhan University in 2011.
Education
Ph.D.; University at Buffalo; Geography; 2018
B.S.; Wuhan University; Geographical Information Science; 2011
2026 Fall Courses
BIOL 790B - DOCT DISSERTATION & RESRCH
BIOL 790E - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
BIOL 792B - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
BIOL 792C - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
BIOL 726 - INDEPENDENT STUDY II
BIOL 790D - DOCT DISSERTATION & RESRCH
BIOL 376 - GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
BIOL 790C - DOCTORAL DISSERTN & RESRCH
BIOL 491 - SENIOR PROJECT
BIOL 790A - DOCT DISSERTATION & RESRCH
BIOL 725 - INDEPENDENT STUDY I
Teaching Interests
Remote sensing of environment, Geographical information science, Spatial data science, Ecohydrology, Biology
Past Courses
BIOL 200: CONCEPTS IN BIOLOGY
BIOL 375: CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
BIOL 376: BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
BIOL 498: SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOLOGY
BIOL 698: SELECTED TOPICS IN BIOLOGY
BIOL 698: ST: BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Research Interests
Ecohydrology, Forest mortality and disturbance, Hydrologic and ecosystem modeling, Remote Sensing, GIS
Journal Article
Xiaonan Tai, Le Wang. "Develop an Ensemble Support Vector Data Description method for improving invasive tamarisk mapping at regional scale." International Journal of Remote Sensing, pp. 1-16.
Peng Fu, Leiqiu Hu, Elizabeth A Ainsworth, Xiaonan Tai, Soe W Myint, Wenfeng Zhan, Bethany J Blakely, Carl J Bernacchi. 2021. "Enhanced drought resistance of vegetation growth in cities due to urban heat, CO2 domes and O3 troughs." Environmental Research Letters, vol. 16, no. 12, pp. 124052.
Paul D. Brooks, Andrew Gelderloos, Margaret A. Wolf, Logan R. Jamison, Courtenay Strong, D. Kip Solomon, Gabriel J. Bowen, Steve Burian, Xiaonan Tai, Seth Arens, Laura Briefer, Tracie Kirkham, Jesse Stewart. 2021. "Groundwater‐Mediated Memory of Past Climate Controls Water Yield in Snowmelt‐Dominated Catchments." Water Resources Research, vol. 57, no. 10.
Xiaonan Tai, Martin D Venturas, D Scott Mackay, Paul D Brooks, Lawrence B Flanagan. 2021. "Lateral subsurface flow modulates forest mortality risk to future climate and elevated CO2." Environmental Research Letters, vol. 16, no. 8, pp. 084015.
Lindsey Christensen, Hallie R. Adams, Xiaonan Tai, Holly R. Barnard, Paul D. Brooks. 2021. "Increasing plant water stress and decreasing summer streamflow in response to a warmer and wetter climate in seasonally snow‐covered forests." Ecohydrology, vol. 14, no. 1.
Xiaonan Tai, William R. Anderegg, Peter D. Blanken, Sean P. Burns, Lindsey Christensen, Paul D. Brooks. 2020. "Hillslope Hydrology Influences the Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Remotely Sensed Ecosystem Productivity." Water Resources Research, vol. 56, no. 11.