Beijing Urban Ecosystem Research Station - China

Beijing Urban Ecosystem Research Station is located in Beijing. Urban ecosystem is a complex social-economic-ecological system dominated by human beings. Urban ecological elements, including climate, atmosphere, hydrology, soil, organisms, etc, and ecological process such as material flow, energy flow, etc, are products of interaction between human activity and natural environment. These will evolve with variation of the human-nature relation as well. Beijing is the center of policy, economy, culture, science and technology in China and it is also an international metropolis. Beijing covers 16,400 km2 (built area is 1204 km2) with population of more than 15, 810,000 in 2006. Beijing urban ecosystem research station was based on State Key Laboratory of Urban and regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and started constructing in 2001, consisting of monitoring net, indoor specimen analysis and conservation room, information data management and analysis room and official documentation room. Up till now, laboratories concerning air, water, soil and microorganism have been set up engaging in research of Beijing urban ecosystem’s structure, typical process and function.