Collaborations

We actively collaborate with researchers, institutions, and organizations across four continents (Asia, Europe, North America, and South America) and multiple sectors — spanning international academic partnerships, domestic research networks, industry, botanical garden, and conservation NGOs. 

International Collaborations 

▶ 2024.03.01 – Present: Collaboration with Prof. Jane Molofsky and Dr. Kirsten Tyler, Department of Plant Biology, University of Vermont, USA

• Prof. Molofsky is an international authority on the evolutionary ecology of invasive species and plant community coexistence mechanisms, with 86+ publications in top journals including Nature Communications, PNAS, and Ecology Letters.

• Prof. Molofsky was hosted by our lab as a visiting professor from March 1, 2024, to June 1, 2024, during which we jointly conducted outdoor experiments.

• Currently, we are analyzing the nationwide Korean vegetation dataset (23,000+ plots, 2015–2024) to predict (i) the potential ecological niches of endangered native plant species, (ii) shifts in habitat suitability of major invasive alien plants under SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5 climate scenarios projected to 2100, and (iii) spatial overlap between threatened native species and invasive species ranges to identify priority conservation targets.

▶ 2017.01.01 – Present: Collaboration with Dr. Jens Kattge, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (MPI-BGC), Germany, and the European plant functional trait research network

• Dr. Kattge is an international authority on global plant functional trait research and leads the TRY Global Database of Plant Functional Traits, the most comprehensive integrated database of plant trait data worldwide, with contributions from 600+ ecologists across the globe. Our lab participates as an official Data Contributor, providing plant functional trait data from Korea.

• This partnership has produced multiple co-authored publications with Dr. Kattge and the broader European and global research community in top international journals. Key collaborative research themes include the dimensions of global plant functional trait variation and their environmental determinants, trait-based mechanisms of native–alien plant coexistence and competition, global tree diversity and functional shifts under human pressure and climate change, and linkages between leaf-level traits and ecosystem-scale processes. We also participate in pan-European vegetation data integration networks such as sPlot, contextualizing Korean ecosystems within global and continental-scale comparative analyses.

▶ 2022.03.01 – Present: Long-term collaboration with Prof. Kripal Singh, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil

• Prof. Singh is an internationally recognized expert in ecological restoration, with 55+ publications, and serves as an editor for Restoration Ecology (Society for Ecological Restoration), Ecological Solutions and Evidence (British Ecological Society), and Land Degradation & Development (Wiley).

• Our partnership has produced 17+ co-authored SCIE publications on invasion ecology and restoration, covering multiple invasive alien plant species in Korea, including Ageratina altissima, Ambrosia trifida, Rumex acetosella, Sicyos angulatus, and Solidago altissima. Key research themes include selective eradication methods, high-pressure water spraying, hierarchical structure of biotic resistance, priority effects, and ecological restoration after invasive plant management.

• Upcoming Korea–Brazil intercontinental comparative field experiment: Prof. Singh joins as an international co-investigator in a multi-scale ecological restoration research project proposed to the National Research Foundation of Korea. The project will apply an identical large-scale field experimental design to the shared invasive species Rumex acetosella simultaneously in Korea and the Cerrado tropical savanna in Brazil. The experiment will test whether the hierarchical structure of biotic resistance (priority effects > seed density > diversity effects > limiting similarity) is preserved across continents. Prof. Singh's team at UFMG will additionally apply the same framework to Brazilian invasive species (Calotropis procera, Melinis minutiflora, Mimosa pudica).

▶ 2026 – Present: China–Korea joint research with Prof. Yanjie Liu and Prof. Lu Xiao, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

• A bilateral joint research project is in development with Prof. Yanjie Liu and Prof. Lu Xiao of the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology (IGA), Chinese Academy of Sciences. Both research groups specialize in global climate change and biological invasion ecology.

• The project focuses on the direct effects and belowground interaction mechanisms of elevated CO₂ and drought on plant invasion, using invasive alien plant species shared by China and the Republic of Korea. Research addresses (i) differences in growth, physiology, and aboveground–belowground resource allocation between invasive and native plants under elevated CO₂ and drought, (ii) the regulatory role of allelopathy in invader competitive advantage, and (iii) the contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to nutrient acquisition and invasion success under combined climate change scenarios.

• The collaboration draws on complementary capabilities: the Chinese team provides specialized experimental infrastructure including open-top chambers (OTC), FACE facilities, and stable-isotope (¹³C, ¹⁵N, ³³P) tracing equipment; the Korean team contributes expertise in invasion ecology, plant–soil dynamics, and biotic resistance theory.

• The project also aligns with both countries' commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and is expected to inform regional invasive alien species risk assessment frameworks in East Asia.

▶ 2026 – Present: Collaboration with Dr. Christie Lovat, Faculty Lecturer, Bieler School of Environment, McGill University, Canada

• Reviving research from the CC-PEQ (Climate Change and Plants of Eastern Quebec) project, we are preparing a manuscript on Phragmites australis seed viability along a ~1,000 km latitudinal gradient from New Jersey to Alma, Quebec. The dataset, assembled by Dr. Christie Lovat, combines original field measurements from her doctoral research with multiple years of common-garden germination and growth-rate experiments on both native (subsp. americanus) and introduced (subsp. australis) lineages.

• The study addresses (i) contrasting seed production strategies between the two subspecies along a climatic gradient, (ii) the growing-degree-day (GDD) threshold required for viable seed production in the introduced lineage and its implications for northward range expansion, and (iii) projected shifts in invasion risk under CMIP6/SSP scenarios. A McGill senior undergraduate, Mr. Jacob Zweig, is conducting the analyses as an honors project and will be considered for co-authorship. 

▶ 2019.01.01 – 2023.12.31: Lead Author of the IPBES Invasive Alien Species Assessment Report

• As Lead Author representing the Republic of Korea, I contributed to Chapter 6 of the Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), collaborating with international scholars on governance and policy options for managing biological invasions and contributing to the development of international standard policies.

▶ 2020.01.01 – 2022.12.31: Collaboration with Prof. Karin Kettenring (Utah State University, USA) and Prof. Sylvie de Blois (McGill University, Canada)

• Co-authored a review paper synthesizing ecological principles for maximizing resistance to invasion in restored plant communities, published in Ecological Engineering.

Domestic Collaborations 

▶ Dr. Minwoo Oh, National Institute of Ecology (NIE)

• Dr. Oh is a Senior Researcher at NIE specializing in invasive plant management, urban riparian wetland ecology, and species distribution modeling. Long-term collaborator on the foundational seed density and biotic resistance research, and currently joins as a collaborative participant on the Korea–USA species distribution modeling project (with Prof. Molofsky) under our proposed multi-scale restoration project.

▶ Prof. Ho Choi, Seowon University

• Prof. Choi specializes in the relationship between niche partitioning and species diversity in plant communities. On our joint field projects, he contributes expert plant identification, in-field vegetation measurements, and native seed collection — essential capabilities for the multi-site experiments conducted across diverse Korean habitats.

▶ Prof. Sunhee Hong, Department of Plant Life and Environmental Sciences, Hankyong National University (2021.10.01 – 2023.12.31: Joint research)

• Participated as a Participating Researcher (Principal level) in the large-scale environmental technology development project "Optimization Technology Development for Removal of Invasive Alien Plants (Phase 2)" (생태계교란 식물 제거 최적화 기술개발), led by Prof. Hong as Principal Investigator and funded by the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI) under the Ministry of Environment.

• Total project budget: KRW 3.2 billion over 33 months (April 2021 – December 2023), led by Prof. Hong as PI; Prof. Byun participated as a Participating Researcher (Principal level) with a share of KRW 335 million (about $240,000) under the national R&D program "Technology Development for Management of Biodiversity-Threatening Alien Species."

• Prof. Hong is a long-term collaborator on multiple field-based invasive plant management studies, including high-pressure water spraying for invasive plant control and invasion risk assessment of intentionally introduced alien plant species in Korea.

External Collaborations (Industry · Botanical Garden · NGO)

▶ 2025.03.01 – Present: Partnership with InvaLab (Ecological Restoration company, CEO: Dr. Wonhyeop Shin)

• Co-developed the patented Seed Flat technology — a multi-layered seed mixture coating complex for enhanced germination, stable seedling establishment, and growth — and its application in ecological restoration (Korean Intellectual Property Office, Application No. 10-2025-0046655).

• Signed a technology transfer agreement to provide specialized knowledge and technical support:

  • Providing native plant species lists tailored to different ecosystem types based on ecological niches and conservation status.

  • Supporting seed germination experiments, greenhouse experiments, and related applied research.

▶ 2025.06.01 – Present: Partnership with Birds Korea (NGO, Republic of Korea)

• Joined as a Participating Researcher (Principal level) on an ecological restoration research project funded by Microsoft and endorsed by the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) — providing an international validation of our patented Seed Flat technology in a field setting.

• The project focuses on wetland restoration in Busan's Maekdo Ecological Park, aiming to create suitable habitat for the valuable bird, Eastern Taiga Bean Goose (Anser fabalis middendorffii). Primary responsibility: vegetation restoration.

▶ 2026.04.01 – Present: Collaboration with Gicheongsan Botanical Garden (conservation & propagation institute)

• Conducting collaborative research on the restoration of endangered species, including in-situ restoration of Glaux maritima (following artificial propagation) and restoration advisory for Pedicularis ishidoyana. Main responsibilities: design of field restoration experiments, restoration implementation and advisory, and vegetation monitoring.