Ph.D., Ecology, June 2016

University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Xishuangbanna, China, June 2016

Dissertation: Effects of abiotic and biotic factors on wood decomposition in tropical environments.

Advisors: Rhett D. Harrison & Cao Kun-Fang

M.Sc., Ecology, June 2012

Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China, June 2012

Thesis: Factors determining forest and biomass on a tropical volcano, Mount Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia.

Advisors: Rhett D. Harrison & Hong-Yan Wang

Diploma, Climate change physics, February 2011

United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan 2011.

Diploma, Building resilience to climate change, February 2011

United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan 2011.

Diploma (~M.Sc.), Forestry Engineering, December 2008

University of Parakou, Parakou, Benin

Thesis: Diversity and functions of trees in the urban environment of the town of Parakou.

Advisors: Nestor Sokpon & Ouinsavi Christine

B.Sc., Agronomy, July 2007

University of Parakou, Parakou, Benin

Research interest

Forest ecology, biodiversity, nutrients cycling

Appointments

  Research Experience

       Associate professor, Forest ecology, Forest Canopy Ecology group, 09/2018-present

Young Scientist (Forest Ecologist), world agroforestry centre, China 07/2016-09/2018.

Conducting field study and assisting project manager for implementation of a

German government funded project on “Green rubber: helping to alleviate poverty and

aiming to restore ecosystem services in rubber plantation upper Mekong region”.

Performed prediction models in R after post micro spectroscopy analyses of soils samples

under an international on land degradation surveillance project.

         Postdoctoral research fellow, Centre for Mountain Ecosystem Studies (CMES), Kunming

Institute of Botany, China.

Scientific seminars host, Kunming Institute of Botany, 2016-present.

            Research associate, Laboratory of Studies and Forest research, University of Parakou.

                        Assist to conduct a field research on “elephant herbivory and damage on the vegetation

                        within Pendjari national park”.

Visiting scholar, under Kathryn Bushley Lab, University of Minnesota (USA), worked with

collaborators on data analysis of role of microbial (fungi DNA sequences) in wood decomposition, 2016 (one week) and 2017 (two weeks).

  Teaching

         Designed and taught several intensive, high level short courses (Monday-Friday, 6 hours

per day) for graduates students. These courses include:

·         Statistics (beginner level)

·         R language for statistics

·         Critical scientific reading

·         Nutrient cycling

Teaching assistant: Assisted the main instructor of Statistics (advanced level) at Kunming Institute of Botany (October 2018, April 2017). Conducted examples and assisted with the course. Helped to engage students in advanced statistics with different teaching methods and feedback to make it

Grants and Funding

Patents and Publications

Patents (One)

Yan Kai, Jianchu Xu, Dossa, G.G.O, Huaixia Ma, Anne Ostermann : Simultaneous measurement of heavy metals in plant tissues using mid infrared spectrometry technique.

Publications

1.      Dossa, G.G.O., Jin, Y. Q., Lü, X. T., Tang, J. W. & Harrison, R.D. (2019) Small Roots of Parashorea chinensis Wang Hsie decompose slower than twigs. Forests, 10, 301.  

Jianchu Xu

2.      Dissanayake, D.M.N.J., Zhai, D., Dossa, G.G.O., Shi, J.P., Luo Q. H., & Xu, J  (2019) Roads as drivers of aboveground biomass loss at tropical forest edges in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China. Land Degradation and Development

3.      Shi, L.L., Dossa, G.G.O. Paudel, E., Zang H. D., Xu, J.,& Harrison, R.D. (2019) Changes in fungal communities across a forest disturbance gradient. Applied Environmental Microbiolology

4.      Satdichanh, M, Ma, H-X, Yan, K., Dossa, G.G.O , Winoweicki, L., Vagen, T.G., Gassner, A., Xu, J-C, & Harrison, R.D. (2018) Phylogenetic diversity correlated with above-ground biomass production during forest succession: Evidence from tropical forests in Southeast Asia. Journal of Ecology.

5.      Sarathchandra, C., Dossa, G.G.O., Ranjiktar, N.B., Chen, H., Zhai, D.; Ranjitkar, S.,

De Silva, K.H.W.L., Wickramasinghe, S.; Xu, J*. & Harrison, R.D. (2018)  Effectiveness of protected areas in preventing rubber expansion and land conversion in Xishuangbanna. Land Degradation and Development. (IF=9.787)

6.      Dossa, G.G.O*, Schaefer, D., Zhang, J-L, Tao, J-P, Cao, K-F, Corlett, R.T., Cunningham, A.B., Xu, J-C, Cornelissen, J.H.C. & Harrison, R.D. (2018) The cover uncovered: bark control over wood decomposition. Journal of Ecology, 103， 2147-2160. (In press 2016 Impact factor IF =5.81, Top 8 in Ecology field)

7.      Dossa, G.G.O. Paudel, E., Cao, K., Schaefer, D. & Harrison, R.D.* (2016) Factors controlling bark decomposition and its role in wood decomposition of five tropical tree species. Scientific Reports, 6, 34153. (IF=4.259)

8.      Dossa, G.G.O., Ekananda, P., Wang, H., Cao, K., Schaefer, D. & Harrison, R.D.* (2015) Correct calculation of CO2 efflux using a closed-chamber linked to a non-dispersive infrared gas analyzer. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 6, 1435–1442. (IF=5.708, Top 10 in Ecology category)

9.      Paudel, E., Dossa, G.G.O., Blécourt, M. de, Becksch？fer, P., Xu, J., Harrison, R.D.* (2015) Quantifying the factors affecting leaf litter decomposition across a tropical forest disturbance gradient. Ecosphere, 6, 267.  (IF=2.49)

10.  Paudel, E., Dossa, G.G.O., Xu, J. & Harrison, R.D.* (2015) Forest Ecology and Management Litterfall and nutrient return along a disturbance gradient in a tropical montane forest. Forest Ecology and Management, 353, 97-106. (IF= 3.06)

11.  Dossa, G.G.O., Paudel, E., Fujinuma, J., Yu, H., Chutipong, W., Zhang, Y., Paz, S. & Harrison, R.D.* (2013) Factors Determining Forest Diversity and Biomass on a Tropical Volcano, Mt. Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia. PLoS ONE, 8, e67720. (IF=2.809)

Book Chapters, Thesis and Blogs

Dossa G.G.O. 2016: PhD dissertation on “Effects of abiotic and biotic factors on wood decomposition in tropical environments” University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

Dossa G.G.O. 2016: “CO₂ Efflux Rates from Dead Organic Matter: Get It Right” invited blog on Methods in Ecology and Evolution official blog site. https://methodsblog.wordpress.com/2016/06/02/co2-efflux-rates/

Dossa G.G.O. 2012: Factors determining forest and biomass on a tropical volcano, Mount Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia. MSc Thesis, Northeast Agricultural University, China.

Dossa G.G.O. 2008: Diversity and functions of trees in the urban environment of the town of Parakou. Undergraduate Thesis, University of Parakou, Benin.

Skills

·         Statistical computing and programming in R, Minitab, SPSS

·         Intermediate knowledge on ArcGIS

·         Knowledgeable in Distance, Git, Github

·         Knowledgeable in DNA barcoding bioinformatics

·         Research methods and technology such Licor 820 for CO₂ infra-red analyzer for respiration measurement, hemispheric photography system, plant specimen collection

·         Plant identification of tropical West Africa and tropical Southeast Asia flora.

·         Data management and processing

·         Extensive field experience with plants/forests in field research, education, enrichment and teaching to student with English as second language

·         Interviewer to experts on Mountain future initiative

·         Leadership and efficient organization of group functions and events

·         Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

Languages

·         English and French native fluency in both written and spoken

·         Mandarin (Chinese) excellent in speaking, intermediate in written

·         African languages such as: Adja, Mina (shared with Togo), Fon, Goun. Yoruba (shared with Nigeria)

Professional Societies (Recent or Current)

 Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC), 2010-present

 Ecology Society of America (ESA), 2016-present

 British Ecological Society (BES), 2017-present

 International Association of Students in Agricultural and related Sciences (2007-2008)

Student Supervision and Mentoring

Ma Huaixia (China) M.Sc. student working on “how soil health is linked to soil land use in Southeast Asia”.

Francis Commercon (USA) internship student worked on rubber agroforestry impacts on birds diversity in

Xishuangbana, China

Viktor Josefsson (Sweden) internship student worked on Pesticide cessation impacts of soil nutrients and

soil erosion in Nabanhe nature reserve, China

Service

 Reviewer for Molecular Ecology, Biotropica, Sustainable Journal of Forestry, Journal of Plant

Research, Journal of Forestry, Scientific Reports.

 Main organizer of sustainable rubber conference Oct. 2016

 Served as interviewer for collecting researchers/stakeholders opinions on the future of mountains in

the Anthropocene

 Volunteer during ATBC-Asia Chapter annual meeting in 2012

 Research associate at the Laboratory of Studies and Forest research, University of Parakou, Benin

 Active organizing committee member for the African director Meeting 2005

 Organizer of field trip for students to visit nature reserves and national parks (2005-2008) university

of Parakou, Benin