Prof. Fan Zexin, deputy director of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG), headed up a team to carry out joint field survey in Laos from July 13-19, in collaboration with the Faculty of Forestry at the National University of Laos (NUOL). The visit aimed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in tropical forest ecological monitoring and global change studies.Their work focused on site selection for the TreeNet, a network monitoring tree growth.

Fan Zexin held talks with Prof. Phokeo Kounnavong, vice dean of the Faculty of Forestry at NUOL, on the TreeNet project background, collaborative objectives, and implementation plans.

The team conducted field assessments in several national biodiversity conservation areas in Laos, including Phou Khao Khouy, Dong Hua Sao, Xe Pian, and Xe Xap. They identified permanent long-term monitoring plots in the areas respectively. They also made a field investigation in an artificial forest by NUOL and selected one site as a TreeNet demonstration monitoring plot.

According to the researchers, the demonstration plot will feature realtime online data display, providing handson case support for teaching and student internships of the Faculty of Forestry at NUOL.

At Faculty of Forestry, National University of Laos (NUOL).

Field surveys.