Xiangtao Xu

Xiangtao Xu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University (2017) and a B.S. from Peking University (2012). His research focuses on ecosystem ecology, particularly vegetation-environment interactions under global change, integrating process-based models with remote sensing and field experiments. Key interests include plant functional diversity, hydraulic traits, and canopy phenology across tropical, temperate, and arid ecosystems.

Research emphasizes: 1) plant water stress responses to drought; 2) canopy phenology dynamics; 3) drone/remote sensing applications; and 4) nutrient-vegetation interactions. His lab (Xu Lab) employs a ModEx approach combining numerical modeling and field experiments. Recent work includes Amazon aquaculture sustainability studies and pond mapping innovations using Sentinel satellite data.

Teaching includes courses like BIOEE 3550/6550 (Data Analysis in Ecology) and supervises PhD students in EEB. Notable collaborations involve tropical forest dynamics modeling (ED2) and interdisciplinary projects on ecohydrology and LiDAR applications. Current initiatives focus on expanding remote sensing techniques and exploring climate change impacts on forest resilience.