Themes & Projects

Selected publications:

1. Liao, W., Kalogerakisa, G., Quevedoa A. C., Azadian, T., Kirk, C., Thomas, S. C., Lapointe, M. & Tufenkji, N. (in preparation). Synergistic effects of biochar and vegetation on removal of nano-plastics from stormwater in bioretention cells.

2. Liao, W., Sidhu, V., Sifton, M. A., Margolis, L., Drake, J. A., & Thomas, S. C. (2024). Biochar and vegetation effects on discharge water quality from organic-substrate green roofs. Science of the Total Environment, 171302. 

3. Liao, W., Halim, MA., Kayes, I., Drake, J., & Thomas, S. C. (2023). Biochar benefits green infrastructure: a global meta-analysis and synthesis. Environmental Science & Technology. 

4. ​Liao, W., Drake, J., & Thomas, S. C. (2022). Biochar granulation, particle size, and vegetation effects on leachate water quality from a green roof substrate. Journal of Environmental Management, 318, 115506.

Selected publications:

1. ​Tang, E., Liao, W., & Thomas, S. C. (2023). Optimizing Biochar Particle Size for Plant Growth and Mitigation of Soil Salinization. Agronomy, 13(5), 1394.

2. ​Liao, W., Drake, J., & Thomas, S. C. (2022). Biochar granulation enhances plant performance on a green roof substrate. Science of The Total Environment, 813, 152638. 

3. Liao, W., & Thomas, S. C. (2019). Biochar particle size and post-pyrolysis mechanical processing affect soil pH, water retention capacity, and plant performance. Soil Systems, 3, 16.​

4. Sidhu, V., Liao, W., Margolis, L., Isaac, M., Thomas, S. C., Drake J. (in preparation). Effect of biochar and vegetation on the chemistry of green roof substrate.

Publications:

1. Liao, W., Sifton, M., & Thomas, S. C. (2022). Biochar granulation reduces substrate erosion on green roofs. Biochar, 4, 61.​

2. Kayes, I., Halim, M. A., Liao, W., Sifton, M., Thomas, S. C. (submitted; manuscript number: NATCITIES-25111935). Biochar greatly enhances methane oxidation in green roof substrate. Nature Cities.

Publications:

1. Liao, W., Appleby, M., Rosenblat, H., Halim, M. A., Rogers, C., Chen, J., Margolis, L., Drake, J., Thomas, S. C. (2025). Remote sensing for healthy vegetation on green roofs. Nature Cities.

​Publications:

1. Basheer, M., Elnour, Z., Pérez, C. F., Liao, W., Siddig, K., Ringler, C. (submitted; manuscript number: HYDROL73591). Integrated hydrological and economic assessment of hydropower and irrigation development in Sudan under climate change. Journal of Hydrology.

Publications:

1. Karim, M. R., Halim, M. A., Kayes, I., Liao, W., Mukul, S. A., Rahman, T., & Thomas, S. (2024). Co-management Effects on Forest Restoration in Protected Areas of Bangladesh: A Remote Sensing and GIS-based Analysis. Lands.

2. Karim, M. R., Ashrafizadeh, E., Saimun, M. S. R., Liao, W., Rana, P., & Arfin-Khan, M. A. (2025). The Role of Climate in Shaping Vegetation Dynamics and Carbon Dioxide Fluxes in Global Protected Forest Landscapes. Journal of Environmental Management.