Education
Ph.D. Biodiversity and Biogeography, University of British Columbia, Canada, 2001
Ph.D. Plant Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, 1989
M.Sc. Botany, Anhui Agricultural University, China, 1985
B.Sc. Forest Science, Anhui Agricultural University, China, 1982
 
Research Interests
My research interest lies at the interface of ecology and biogeography, and involves a wide range of spatial scales. Specifically, I am interested in biodiversity, biogeography, plant community ecology, and plant systematics.
My research in biodiversity focuses on the understanding of biodiversity patterns at all spatial scales from the globe to the microcosm. At a larger scale, I am interested in searching for the factors that have caused the current intercontinental patterns of vascular plant species richness in the Northern Hemisphere. I am intrigued by the fact that species diversity of vascular plants in eastern Asia is substantially higher than that of its counterpart in North America. One of my ongoing projects is to explore similarities and differences in evolutionary diversification across a wide variety of vascular plant groups between eastern Asia and North America at scales ranging from full continents to major ecosystem types that develop under similar climate conditions in different continents (e.g. temperate forests in eastern Asia and eastern North America). I investigate the historic development of regional species richness, using comparative analyses of diversity patterns in order to understand how the factors that promote diversification, such as selection, speciation, and dispersal, are balanced by system constraints that limit response to selection or coexistence of species. At a smaller spatial scale, I investigate how species coexist at the community level. Because many current patterns in biodiversity and geographical range exist due to the phylogenetic history of the species or taxa at a higher level, I am particularly interested in exploring how phylogenetic relationships match global biodiversity patterns.
My biogeography work falls into both historical biogeography and ecological biogeography. My research in historical biogeography focuses on spatial pattern analyses of the Northern Hemisphere vascular plants within and between continents. For example, one of my ongoing projects in historical biogeography is to characterize distribution patterns of the North American vascular plants, such as the floristic relationships between different latitudinal or longitudinal zones within North America and the floristic relationships between North America and other continents of the world. I have a keen interest in understanding the effect of tectonic plate movement on the current biogeographical relationships among continents. I am also interested in knowing how current patterns in the geographical range of vascular plants in the Northern Hemisphere are related to phylogenetic (evolutionary) patterns across a wide range of different taxonomic groups. My research in ecological biogeography includes investigating ecological parallelism of sister or closely related taxa in climatically similar areas in different continents. For example, one of my ongoing projects on this topic focuses on the eastern Asian-eastern North American disjunct genera of vascular plants.
My research in the area of plant community ecology involves ecosystem classification, the descriptive and correlative analysis of vegetation - environment relationships, and species diversity patterns at the community level. I am especially interested in investigating similarities and differences in a variety of community attributes such as structure, species diversity, and the composition of functional types between plant communities of similar climates in geographically widely separate areas (especially in different continents). One of my ongoing projects on this topic focuses on the temperate broad-leaved forests in eastern Asia and eastern North America. I have an interest in understanding how historical, phylogenetic, and geographical components affect community organization, and how regional processes are manifested in ecological measurements at a local scale, i.e. relationships between regional and local processes.
My recent work on plant systematics focuses on biodiversity informatics. I have been compiling an integrated electronic database for the Northern Hemisphere vascular plants. This database has served as the backbone for my researches on large-scale patterns of biodiversity and biogeography. I am particularly interested in making an electronic database that can be useful to both taxonomists and syntaxonomists.

 

Selected Refereed Publications
Qian, H., and R.E. Ricklefs. 2008. Global concordance in diversity patterns of vascular plants and terrestrial vertebrates. Ecology Letters 11: 547-553.
Qian, H. 2008. Effects of historical and contemporary factors on global patterns in avian species richness. Journal of Biogeography 35: 1362-1373.
Qian, H. 2008. A latitudinal gradient of beta diversity for exotic species of vascular plants in North America. Diversity and Distributions 14: 556-560.
Ricklefs, R.E, Q. Guo, and H. Qian. 2008. Growth form and distribution of introduced plants in their native and non-native ranges in Eastern Asia and North America. Diversity and Distributions 14: 381-386.
Qian, H., M. L. McKinney, and I. Kühn. 2008. Effects of introduced species on floristic similarity: comparing two US states. Basic and Applied Ecology 9: 617-625.
Qian, H., X. Wang, S. Wang and Y. Li. 2007. Environmental determinants of amphibian and reptile species richness in China. Ecography 30: 471-482.
Qian, H., J.D. Fridley, and M.W. Palmer. 2007. The latitudinal gradient of species-area relationships for vascular plants of North America. The American Naturalist 170: 690-701.
Qian, H., and R.E. Ricklefs. 2007. A latitudinal gradient in large-scale beta diversity for vascular plants in North America. Ecology Letters 10: 737-744.
Qian, H. 2007. Relationships between plant and animal species richness at a regional scale in China. Conservation Biology 21: 937-944.
Qian, H., P.S. White, and J.-S. Song. 2007. Effects of regional vs. ecological factors on plant species richness: an intercontinental analysis. Ecology 88: 1440-1453.
Hawkins, B.A., F.S. Albuquerque, M.B. Araújo, J. Beck, L.M. Bini, F.J. Cabrero-Sañudo, I. Castro-Parga, J.A.F. Diniz-Filho, D. Ferrer-Castán, R. Field, J.F. Gómez, J. Hortal, J.T. Kerr, I.J. Kitching, J.L. León-Cortés, J.M. Lobo, D.Montya, J.C. Moreno, M.Á. Olalla-Tárraga, J.G. Pausas, H. Qian, C. Rahbek, M.Á. Rodríguez, N.J. Sanders, and P. Williams (authors are listed in alphabetical order except for the first author). 2007. A global evaluation of metabolic theory as an explanation for terrestrial species richness gradients. Ecology 88: 1877-1888.
Fridley, J.D., H. Qian, P.S. White, and M.W. Palmer. 2006. Plant species invasions along the latitudinal gradient in the United States: Comment. Ecology 87: 3209-3213.
Qian, H., and R.E. Ricklefs. 2006. The role of exotic species in homogenizing the North American flora. Ecology Letters 9: 1293-1298.
Qian, H., S. Wang, J.-S. He, J. Zhang, L. Wang, X. Wang, and K. Guo. 2006. Phytogeographic analysis of seed plant genera in China. Annals of Botany 98: 1073-1084.
Guo, Q., H. Qian, R. E. Ricklefs, and W. Xi. 2006. Distributions of exotic plants in eastern Asia and North America. Ecology Letters 9: 827-834.
Qian, H., R.E. Ricklefs, and P.S. White. 2005. Beta diversity of angiosperms in temperate floras of eastern Asia and eastern North America. Ecology Letters 8:15-22.
Xiang, Q.-Y., W.-H. Zhang, R.E. Ricklefs, H. Qian, Z.-D. Chen, J. Wen, and J.-H. Li. 2004. Regional differences in rates of plant speciation and molecular evolution: a comparison between eastern Asia and eastern North America. Evolution 58: 2175–2184.
Nigh, G.D., C.C. Ying, and H. Qian. 2004. Climate and productivity of major conifer species in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. Forest Science 50: 659-671.
Qian, H., and R.E. Ricklefs. 2004. Taxon richness and climate in angiosperms: is there a globally consistent relationship that precludes region effects? The American Naturalist 163: 773-779.
Qian, H., and R.E. Ricklefs. 2004. Geographic distributions and ecological conservatism of disjunct genera of vascular plants in eastern Asia and eastern North America. Journal of Ecology 92: 253-265.
Ricklefs, R.E, H. Qian, and P.S. White. 2004. The region effect on mesoscale plant species richness between eastern Asia and eastern North America. Ecography 27: 129-136.
Qian, H., P. Krestov, P.-Y. Fu, Q.-L. Wang, J.-S. Song, and C. Chourmouzis. 2003. Phytogeography of Northeast Asia. In: Kolbek, J., M. Srutek, and E. O. Box (eds.), Forest vegetation of Northeast Asia. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. Pages 51-91.
Qian, H., X.-Y. Yuan, and Y.-L. Chou. 2003. Forest vegetation of Northeast China. In: Kolbek, J., M. Srutek, and E. O. Box (eds.), Forest vegetation of Northeast Asia. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. Pages 181-230.
Qian, H., K. Klinka, R.H. Økland, P. Krestov, and G.J. Kayahara. 2003. Understorey vegetation in boreal Picea mariana and Populus tremuloides stands in British Columbia. Journal of Vegetation Science 14: 173-184.
Qian, H., J.-S. Song, P. Krestov, Q.-F. Guo, Z.-M. Wu, X.-S. Shen, and X.-S. Guo. 2003. Largescale phytogeographical patterns in East Asia in relation to latitudinal and climatic gradients. Journal of Biogeography 30: 129-141.
Qian, H. 2002. A comparison of the taxonomic richness of temperate plants in East Asia and North America. American Journal of Botany 89: 1818-1825.
Qian, H. 2002. Floristic relationships between eastern Asia and North America: test of Gray’s hypothesis. The American Naturalist 160: 317-332.
Qian, H. and R.E. Ricklefs. 2001. Diversity of temperate plants in East Asia – Reply. Nature 413: 130-130.
Qian, H. 2001. Floristic analysis of vascular plant genera of North America north of Mexico: spatial patterning of phytogeography. Journal of Biogeography 28: 525-534.
Qian, H. 2001. A comparison of generic endemism of vascular plants between East Asia and North America. International Journal of Plant Science 162: 191-199.
Qian, H. and R.E. Ricklefs. 2000. Large-scale processes and the Asian bias in temperate plant species diversity. Nature 407: 180-182.
Qian, H. 1999a. Spatial pattern of vascular plant diversity in North America north of Mexico and its floristic relationship with Eurasia. Annals of Botany 83: 271-283.
Qian, H. 1999b. Floristic analysis of vascular plant genera of North America north of Mexico: characteristics of phytogeography. Journal of Biogeography 26: 1307-1321.
Qian, H., P.S. White, K. Klinka and C. Chourmouzis. 1999a. Phytogeographical and community similarities of alpine tundras of Changbaishan Summit, China, and Indian Peaks, USA. Journal of Vegetation Science 10: 869-882.
Qian, H., K. Klinka and X. Song. 1999b. Cryptogams on decaying wood in old-growth forests of southern coastal British Columbia. Journal of Vegetation Science 10: 883-894.
Qian, H. and R.E. Ricklefs. 1999. A comparison of vascular plant taxonomic richness in China and the United States. The American Naturalist 154: 160-181.
Ricklefs, R.E., R.E. Latham and H. Qian. 1999. Global patterns of tree species richness in moist forests: distinguishing ecological influences and historical contingency. Oikos 86: 369-373.
Qian, H. 1998. Large-scale biogeographic patterns of vascular plant richness in North America: an analysis at the generic level. Journal of Biogeography 25: 829-836.
Qian, H., K. Klinka and G. Kayahara. 1998. Longitudinal patterns of plant diversity in the North American boreal forest. Plant Ecology 138: 161-178.
Qian, H. and Klinka, K. 1998. Plants of British Columbia: scientific and common names of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens. The University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver. (534 pp.).
Qian, H., K. Klinka and B. Sivak. 1997. Diversity of the understory vascular vegetation in 40 year -old and old-growth stands on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Journal of Vegetation Science 8: 773-780.
Klinka, K., H. Qian, J. Pojar and D.V. Meidinger. 1996. Classification of natural forest communities in coastal British Columbia, Canada. Vegetatio 125: 149-168.
Qian, H. and K. Klinka. 1995. Spatial variability of humus forms in some coastal forest stands of British Columbia. Annales des Sciences Forestieres 52: 515-528.
Wang, G.G., H. Qian and K. Klinka. 1994. Growth of Thuja plicata seedlings along a light gradient. Canadian Journal of Botany 72: 1749-1757.
Qian, H., K. Klinka and L.M. Lavkulich. 1993. Relationship between color value and nitrogen in forest mineral soils. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 73: 61-72.
Qian, H. 1993. Floristic interrelations between the arctic and alpine tundras in eastern Asia and western North America. Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica 31: 1-16.