Min Chen

Assistant Professor

Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Postdoc/Graduate Student positions are available at my group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Interested ones may contact me via email for further discussion. Click here for details.

Contact me: mchen392[at]wisc.edu

Lab website: https://sites.google.com/view/chenlab-wisc

About me

Download my CV here

I am a scientist interested in studying the impacts of global change and how we should respond this critical challenge. I use mechanistic/empirical models and a variety of remote sensing data in my research.

Education

  • PhD Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Purdue University, West Lafayette 2008 - 2013

  • MS Remote Sensing and GIS Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China 2005 - 2008

  • BS (with honor) Computer Science Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China 2001 - 2005


Professional Experiences

  • Assistant Professor 2021 - present Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • Faculty Affiliate 2021 - present Center for Climatic Research, Nelson Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • Research Scientist 2016 - 2021 Joint Global Change Research Institute, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

  • Adjunct Professor 2020-2021 Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park

  • Visiting Investigator 2019 - present Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University

  • Barbara McClintock Fellow 2015 - 2016 Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University

  • Postdoctoral Fellow 2013 - 2015 Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University


Current Research Projects

NASA ROSES Remote Sensing Theory for Earth Science Advancing remote sensing of Solar-Induced chlorophyll Fluorescence by developing a unified 3D analytical, multi-scale radiative transfer modeling framework

2021-2022 Chen Min (PI) and Joe Berry $350,000


NASA ROSES Terrestrial Ecology: Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment Phase II Quantifying socioeconomic impacts of changing Arctic ecosystems using ABoVE datasets in an integrated Human-Earth system modeling and data assimilation framework

2019-2021 Chen, Min (PI), Ben Bond-Lamberty and Corinne Hartin $900,000


Past Research Projects

DOE PNNL Laboratory Directed Research and Development Exploring the potential of using NIRv-radiance to approximate gross primary productivity

2020 Chen, Min (PI) and Yelu Zeng $50,000


DOE PNNL Laboratory Directed Research and Development Gaining new insights into the drought impacts at finer scales by developing a high-spatiotemporal-resolution Solar Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence dataset

2018-2020 Chen, Min (PI), Nate McDowell, Ghassem Asrar, Ning Zeng and Eugenia Kalnay $370,000



Publications

[J53] Liu, Y., Chen, D., Mouatadid, S., Lu, X., Chen, M., Cheng, Y., Xie, Z., Jia, B., Wu, H., & Gentine, P. Development of a daily multi-layer cropland soil moisture dataset for China using machine learning and application to cropping patterns (2020) Journal of Hydrometeorology. https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-19-0301.1

[J52] Hao D., Zeng Y., Qiu H., Biriukova K. Celesti., Migliavacca M., Rossini M., Asrar G. R., and Chen M., Practical approaches for normalizing directional solar-induced fluorescence to a standard viewing geometry. In press at Remote Sensing of Environment, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2020.112171

[J51] Wu S., Zeng Y., Hao D., Liu Q., Li J., Chen X., Asrar G. R., Yin G., Wen J., Yang B., Zhu P., and Chen M., Quantifying leaf optical properties with spectral invariants theory (2021) Remote Sensing of Environment, 253, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2020.112131

[J50] Chen, M., Vernon, C.R., Graham, N.T. et al. Global land use for 2015–2100 at 0.05° resolution under diverse socioeconomic and climate scenarios. Sci Data 7, 320 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-020-00669-x

[J49] Chen, M. and Caldeira, K.: Climate change as an incentive for future human migration, Earth Syst. Dynam., 11, 875–883, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-11-875-2020, 2020.

[J48] Hao Dalei, Ghassem R. Asrar, Yelu Zeng, Qing Zhu, Jianguang Wen, Qing Xiao and Min Chen, DSCOVR/EPIC-derived global hourly/daily downward shortwave and photosynthetically activeradiation data at 0.1x0.1 degree resolution, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 2209–2221, 2020.

[J47] Weber, M.; Hao, D.; Asrar, G.R.; Zhou, Y.; Li, X.; Chen, M. Exploring the Use of DSCOVR/EPIC Satellite Observations to Monitor Vegetation Phenology. Remote Sensing. 2020, 12, 2384.

[J46] Wang, J., Yang, D., Detto, M., Nelson, B.W., Chen, M., Guan, K., Wu, S., Yan, Z., Wu, J., 2020. Multi-scale integration of satellite remote sensing improves characterization of dry-season green-up in an Amazon tropical evergreen forest. Remote Sensing of Environment. 246, 111865.

[J45] Cong Wang, Kaiyu Guan, Bin Peng, Min Chen, Chongya Jiang, Yelu Zeng, Genghong Wu, Sheng Wang, Jin Wu, Xi Yang, Christian Frankenberg, Philipp K ̈ohler, Joseph Berry, Carl Bernacchi, Kai Zhu, Caroline Alden, and Guofang Miao, Satellite footprint data from OCO-2 and TROPOMI reveal significant spatio-temporal and inter-vegetation type variabilities of solar-induced fluorescence yield in the U.S. Midwest (2020) Remote Sensing of Environment, 241 (111728)

[J44] Yelu Zeng, Grayson Badgley, Min Chen, Jing Li, Ari Kornfeld, Leander DL Anderegg, Qinhuo Liu, Baodong Xu, Bin Yang, Kai Yan, and Joseph A. Berry, A radiative transfer model for solar induced fluorescence using spectral invariants theory (2020) Remote Sensing of Environment, 240 (111678)

[J43] Akihiko Ito, Christopher P O Reyer, Anne G ̈adeke, Philippe Ciais, Jinfeng Chang, Min Chen, Louis Fran ̧cois, Matthew Forrest, Thomas Hickler, Sebastian Ostberg, Hao Shi, Wim Thiery and Hanqin Tian (2020) Pronounced and unavoidable impacts of low-end global warming on northern high-latitude land ecosystems. Environmental Research Letters, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab702b

[J42] Yanyan Cheng, Maoyi Huang, Min Chen, Kaiyu Guan, Carl Bernacchi, Bin Peng and Zeli Tan (2020) Parameterizing perennial bioenergy crops in Version 5 of the Community Land Model based on site-level observations the Central Midwestern United States. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 12, e2019MS001719. https://doi.org/ 10.1029/2019MS001719

[J41] Genghong Wu, Kaiyu Guan, Chongya Jiang, Bin Peng, Hyungsuk Kimm, Min Chen, Xi Yang, Sheng Wang, Andrew E. Suyker, Carl J. Bernacchi, Caitlin E. Moore, Yelu Zeng, Joseph A. Berry and M. Pilar Cendrero-Mateo, (2019) Radiance-based NIRv as a proxy for GPP of corn and soybean, Environmental Research Letters

[J40] Yelu Zeng, Jing Li, Qinhuo Liu , Alfredo R. Huete, Baodong Xu , Gaofei Yin, Weiliang Fan , Yixuan Ouyang, Kai Yan, Dalei Hao, and Min Chen, A radiative transfer model for patchy landscapes based on stochastic radiative transfer theory (2019) IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, doi:10.1109/TGRS.2019.2952377

[J39] Neal Graham, Mohamad Hejazi, Min Chen, Evan Davies, James Edmonds, Son Kim, Sean Turner, Xinya Li, Chris Vernon, Katherine Calvin, Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, Leon Clarke, Page Kyle, Robert Link, Pralit Patel, Abigail Snyder, Marshall Wise, Humans drive future water scarcity changes across all Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, (2020) Environmental Research Letters

[J38] Hao Dalei, Ghassem R. Asrar, Yelu Zeng, Qing Zhu, Jianguang Wen, Qing Xiao and Min Chen (2019) Estimating hourly land surface downward shortwave and photosynthetically active radiation from DSCOVR/EPIC observations, Remote Sensing of Environment, 232 (111320)

[J37] Zeng Yelu, Grayson Badgley, Benjamin Dechant, Youngryel Ryu, Min Chen and J.A. Berry (2019) A practical approach for estimating the escape ratio of near-infrared solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence, Remote Sensing of Environment, 232 (111209)

[J36] Chen M., Vernon, C. R., Huang, M., Calvin, K., Kraucunas, I. P. (2019) Calibration and analysis of the uncertainty in downscaling global land use and land cover projections from GCAM using Demeter (v1.0.0), Geoscientific Model Development, 12, 1-12, 2019

[J35] Huang, Z., Hejazi, M., Tang, Q., Vernon, C. R., Liu, Y., Chen M., Calvin K. (2019). Global agricultural green and blue water consumption under future climate and land use changes, Journal of Hydrology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.04.046.

[J34] Bond-Lamberty, B., Dorheim, K., . . . , Chen, M, . . . , Clarke, L. (2019). gcamdata: An R Package for Preparation, Synthesis, and Tracking of Input Data for the GCAM Integrated Human-Earth Systems Model. Journal of Open Research Software, 7(1)

[J33] Bond-Lamberty, B., Bailey, V. L., Chen, M., Gough, C. M., Vargas, R. (2018). Globally rising soil heterotrophic respiration over recent decades. Nature, 560(7716), 80–83.

[J32] Guan, K., Good, S. P., Caylor, K. K., Medvigy, D., Pan, M., Wood, E. F., . . . Chen, M. et al (2018). Simulated sensitivity of African terrestrial ecosystem photosynthesis to rainfall frequency, intensity, and rainy season length. Environmental Research Letters, 13(2), 025013.

[J31] Peng, B., Guan, K., Chen, M., Lawrence, D. M., Pokhrel, Y., Suyker, A., . . . Lu, Y. (2018). Improving maize growth processes in the community land model: Implementation and evaluation. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 250–251, 64–89.

[J30] Richardson, A. D., Hufkens, K., Milliman, T., Aubrecht, D. M., Chen, M., Gray, J. M., . . . Frolking, S. (2018). Tracking vegetation phenology across diverse North American biomes using PhenoCam imagery. Scientific Data, 5, 180028.

[J29] Sihi, D., Davidson, E. A., Chen, M., Savage, K. E., Richardson, A. D., Keenan, T. F., Hollinger, D. Y. (2018). Merging a mechanistic enzymatic model of soil heterotrophic respiration into an ecosystem model in two AmeriFlux sites of northeastern USA. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 252, 155–166.

[J28] Vernon, C. R., Le Page, Y., Chen, M., Huang, M., Calvin, K. V, Kraucunas, I. P., Braun, C. J. (2018). Demeter–A Land Use and Land Cover Change Disaggregation Model. Journal of Open Research Software, 6(1).

[J27] Wang, X., Wu, J., Chen, M., Xu, X., Wang, Z., Wang, B., . . . Liu, L. (2018). Field evidences for the positive effects of aerosols on tree growth. Global Change Biology, 24(10):4983-4992.

[J26] Chen M, Rafique, R, Asrar, G, Bond-Lamberty, B, Ciais, P et al., (2017) Regional Contribution to Variability and Trends of Global Gross Primary Productivity, Environmental Research Letters, 12(10).

[J25] Wu J, Serbin SP, Xu X, Albert LP, Chen M, Meng R, Saleska SR and Roger A. (2017) The phenology of leaf quality and its within-canopy variation is essential for accurate modeling of photosynthesis in tropical evergreen forests. Glob Change Biol. 2017;00:1–14.

[J24] Lu X., M. Chen, Y. Liu, D. G. Miralles, F. Wang (2017), Enhanced water use efficiency in global terrestrial ecosystems under increasing aerosol loadings, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Volumes 237–238, 1 May 2017, Pages 39-49

[J23] Carbone, M. S., A. D. Richardson, M. Chen, E. A. Davidson, H. Hughes, K. E. Savage, and D. Y. Hollinger (2016), Constrained partitioning of autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration reduces model uncertainties of forest ecosystem carbon fluxes but not stocks, J. Geophys. Res. Biogeosciences, 121, 2476–2492, doi:10.1002/2016JG003386.

[J22] Chen, M., E. K. Melaas, J. M. Gray, M. A. Friedl, and A. D. Richardson (2016), A new seasonal deciduous spring phenology submodel in the Community Land Model 4.5: impacts on carbon and water cycling under future climate scenarios, Glob. Chang. Biol., doi:10.1111/gcb.13326.

[J21] Liu, S., M. Chen, and Q. Zhuang (2016a), Direct radiative effects of tropospheric aerosols on changes of global surface soil moisture, Clim. Change, 1–13, doi:10.1007/s10584-016-1611-7. (Equal contribution)

[J20] Jin, Z., Q. Zhuang, J. S. Dukes, J.-S. He, A. P. Sokolov, M. Chen, T. Zhang, and T. Luo (2016), Temporal variability in the thermal requirements for vegetation phenology on the Tibetan plateau and its implications for carbon dynamics, Clim. Change, 1–16, doi:10.1007/s10584-016-1736-8.

[J19] Liu, S., Q. Zhuang, M. Chen, and L. Gu (2016b), Quantifying spatially and temporally explicit CO2 fertilization effects on global terrestrial ecosystem carbon dynamics, Ecosphere, 7(7), doi:10.1002/ecs2.1391.

[J18] Liu, S., M. Chen, and Q. Zhuang (2014), Aerosol effects on global land surface energy fluxes during 2003–2010, Geophys. Res. Lett., 41(22), 7875–7881, doi:10.1002/2014GL061640. (Equal contribution)

[J17] Chen, M., and Q. Zhuang (2014), Evaluating aerosol direct radiative effects on global terrestrial ecosystem carbon dynamics from 2003 to 2010, Tellus B, 66, doi:10.3402/tellusb.v66.21808.

[J16] Chen, M., Q. Zhuang, and Y. He (2014), An Efficient Method of Estimating Downward Solar Radiation Based on the MODIS Observations for the Use of Land Surface Modeling, Remote Sens., 6(8), doi:10.3390/rs6087136.

[J15] Hayes, D. J. and D. W. K. and A. D. M. and M. C. and Q. Z. and F. Y. and J. M. M. and S. D. (2014), The impacts of recent permafrost thaw on land–atmosphere greenhouse gas exchange, Environ. Res. Lett., 9(4), 45005.

[J14] Zhu, Q., Zhuang, Q., Henze, D., Bowman, K., Chen, M., Liu, Y., He, Y., Matsueda, H., Machida, T., Sawa, Y., and Oechel, W.: Constraining terrestrial ecosystem CO2 fluxes by integrating models of biogeochemistry and atmospheric transport and data of surface carbon fluxes and atmospheric CO2 concentrations, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 14, 22587-22638, doi:10.5194/acpd-14-22587-2014, 2014

[J13] He, Y., Q. Zhuang, A. David McGuire, Y. Liu, and M. Chen (2013), Alternative ways of using field-based estimates to calibrate ecosystem models and their implications for carbon cycle studies, J. Geophys. Res. Biogeosciences, 118(3), 983–993, doi:10.1002/jgrg.20080.

[J12] Liu, Y., Q. Zhuang, M. Chen, Z. Pan, N. Tchebakova, A. Sokolov, D. Kicklighter, J. Melillo, A. Sirin, G. Zhou, Y. He, J. Chen, L. Bowling, D. Miralles, E. Parfenova (2013), Response of evapotranspiration and water availability to changing climate and land cover on the Mongolian Plateau during the 21st century, Glob. Planet. Change, 108, 85–99, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2013.06.008.

[J11] Qin, Z., Q. Zhuang, and M. Chen (2012), Impacts of land use change due to biofuel crops on carbon balance, bioenergy production, and agricultural yield, in the conterminous United States, GCB Bioenergy, 4(3), 277–288.

[J10] Chen, M., and Q. Zhuang (2013), Modeling temperature acclimation effects on carbon dynamics of forest ecosystems in the conterminous United States, Tellus B; Vol 65.

[J9] Zhuang, Q., Z. Qin, and M. Chen (2013a), Biofuel, land and water: maize, switchgrass or Miscanthus ?, Environ. Res. Lett. , 8(1), 15020.

[J8] Zhuang, Q., M. Chen, K. Xu, J. Tang, E. Saikawa, Y. Lu, J. M. Melillo, R. G. Prinn, and A.D. McGuire (2013b), Response of global soil consumption of atmospheric methane to changes in atmospheric climate and nitrogen deposition, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 27(3), 650–663, doi:10.1002/gbc.20057.

[J7] Chen, M., and Q. Zhuang (2012), Spatially Explicit Parameterization of a Terrestrial Ecosystem Model and Its Application to the Quantification of Carbon Dynamics of Forest Ecosystems in the Conterminous United States, Earth Interact., 16(5), 1–22, doi:10.1175/2012EI400.1.

[J6] Zhuang, Q., Y. Lu, and M. Chen (2012), An inventory of global N2O emissions from the soils of natural terrestrial ecosystems, Atmos. Environ., 47(0), 66–75, doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.11.036.

[J5] Zhu X., Q. Zhuang, M. Chen, Sirin A., Melillo J., Kicklighter D., Sokolov A., Song L. (2011) Rising methane emissions in response to climate change in Northern Eurasia during the 21st century. Environ. Res. Lett. 6 045211 doi:10.1088/1748-9326/6/4/045211.

[J4] Chen, M., Q. Zhuang, D. R. Cook, R. Coulter, M. Pekour, R. L. Scott, J. W. Munger, and K. Bible (2011), Quantification of terrestrial ecosystem carbon dynamics in the conterminous United States combining a process-based biogeochemical model and MODIS and AmeriFlux data, Biogeosciences, 8(9), 2665–2688, doi:10.5194/bg-8-2665-2011.

[J3] McGuire, A.D., D.J. Hayes, D.W. Kicklighter, M. Manizza, Q. Zhuang, M. Chen, M. J. Follows, K. R. Gurney, J. W. McClelland, J. M. Melillo, B. J. Peterson, and R. G. Prinn (2010), Ananalysis of the carbon balance of the Arctic Basin from 1997 to 2006, Tellus B, DOI: 10.1111/j.16000889.2010.00497.x.

[J2] Huang, H., M. Chen, Q. Liu, Q. Liu, Y. Zhang, L. Zhao, and W. Qin (2009), A realistic structure model for large-scale surface leaving radiance simulation of forest canopy and accuracy assessment, Int.J. Remote Sens., 30(20), 5421–5439, doi:10.1080/01431160903130911.

[J1] Chen, M., Jiang Y., Xi X., Liu Z. (2008), Application of Kernel Independent Component Analysis in Image Processing. Application Research of Computers. doi:cnki:sun:jsyj.0.2008-01-097 (in Chinese with English Abstract)