The State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology (Beijing Normal University) is an applied geology and ecology research laboratory. Upon the review and approval of development blueprints by the Ministry of Science and Technology in October 2007, ESPRE is now under development. In January 2008, the academic committee was formed, and the first and second committee meetings were held in January of 2008 and 2009. The academic committee chair is Academician An Zhisheng and the director of the lab is Professor Shi Peijun.

The lab focuses on the research of semidry grassland and ecotone between agriculture and animal-husbandry in northern China. Our mission is to make significant innovative contributions to the sustainable ecosystem. The lab brings together collaborating faculty and staff in Beijing Normal University to conduct interdisciplinary research through integrated experiments in the fields of geographic processes and rational utilization of renewable natural resources, aiming at providing systematic technological support for land degradation control in ecologically vulnerable areas and regenerating sound ecosystem. ESPRE scientists and engineers marshal their efforts around four broad research themes: earth surface processes, resource ecology, earth surface system modeling and simulation, and sustainable regional development simulation.

The key laboratory consists of experiment center and simulation center, and 6 field experimental bases in Fangshan (Beijing), Heshan (Heilongjiang province), Huanghua (Hebei province), Huailai (Hebei province), Taipusiqi (Inner Mongolia), and Jingbian (Shanxi province) with more than 736 sets of instruments and equipments with a total value of 42.6 million RMB Yuan, in which 29 larger scale equipments with the value of more than 300 thousand RMB Yuan.

At present, the lab hosts a permanent staff of 58 researchers and 42 itinerant researchers, most of them hold Ph.D degrees, including 5 receivers of National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, 2 professors-in-residence of Yangzi Fund, 3 honor-holders of First Class State Talents program (the Ministry of Personnel), and 10 title-holders of Trans-Century and New-Century Excellent Talents program (the Ministry of Education).

Currently, the lab is carrying out over 30 National High-tech R&D Programs as well as national key technologies R&D Programs Over 702 research papers (179 in SCI(E)) and 28 volumes of scholar books were published. The lab is also actively participated in 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake Relief Program and consulting work for 2008 Snow Disaster in Southern China, and compiled 24 technique consulting reports for the two disasters.

The lab is an educational center for students pursuing master and doctoral degree. It also hosts post-doctoral programs and offers collaboration opportunity for domestic and international scholars. Currently, the lab has 8 doctorate programs hosting 125 students and 13 master programs hosting 130 students. Among those, the program of “Disaster Risk Science” won the first prize of Beijing Teaching Achievement Award in 2008 and won the second prize of National Teaching Achievement Award in 2009.

Professor Shi also leads the plan of the disaster prevention and relief program for the 12th National Five-year Plan. With Carlo Jaeger (Potsdam Research Institute, Germany), Professor Shi Peijun co-chaired the core international science program IHDP-IRG, a key project initiated and led by a Chinese scientist in the field of global change research. In 2009, he acquired the title of a Member (Academician) of International Eurasian Academy of Sciences. Moreover, Aeolian Processes Research Team won the second prize of Beijing Natural Science Award in 2008, and Professor Liu Baoyuan won the title of Outstanding Scholar of National Field S&T Work in 2009.

The research programs and projects are open to the public for cooperation and collaboration. Research funds have been allocated and research topics have been announced periodically to the public, aiming at attracting both domestic and foreign scholars to participate in the research as well as applying for key state research programs that meet national demand and pioneer the development of science. Till the end of 2011, ESPRE has initiated 78 projects for indoor research faculties and 50 open projects for outdoor domestic and foreign scientists. In addition, the lab is carrying out multi-level national and international exchange programs, and also active in organizing, hosting, and participating national and international conferences, symposiums, and seminars, and that has greatly enhanced the intensity and broadness of cooperation with international scholars, and promoted the academic interaction and communication as well. The key academic activities the lab organized include “2009 Asian Conference on Risk Assessment and Management” and “2009 and 2010 Summer Institute for Advanced Study of Disaster and Risk”，as well as the invited lectures given by some internationally renowned scholars such as Academician Qin Dahe, Professor Carlo Jaeger and Professor Ortwin Renn.

As the organization, Beijing Normal University offers important support in the development of ESPRE by giving more authorities and favorable policies. At present, four research divisions (surface processes, resource ecology, surface simulation and sustainable development) and associated management teams have been built.

Our goal is to build the lab into a research center and a talent training base of earth surface processes and resource ecology. We focus on tackling a series of key scientific and technical issues in grassland degradation, desertification and blown-sand control of northern China, as well as providing crucial, timely and reliable scientific support and suggestion for the decision-making of National Sustainable Development Strategy.