Research

Large Language Models unlock the ecology of species interactions

Using LLMs to collect species interaction data from an underutilized source: citizen science comments
Big data analysis
Citizen science
Novel data
First-author

Published in PNAS, 2026

Oct 8, 2026
Heng-Xing Zou, Xiaohao Yang, Thabassum Hashmi Hajamaideen, Olivia Stein, … , Phoebe Zarnetske, Brian Weeks, Kai Zhu

Functional divergence and convergence of birds driven by a few species

North American bird communities are converging or diverging functionally due to a few species
Big data analysis
Functional ecology
Bird
First-author
Ongoing

Ongoing project

Aug 22, 2026
Heng-Xing Zou, Kai Zhu, Brian Weeks

The phenology of brood parasitism

Analyzing spatial and temporal patterns of brood parasitism phenology using a unique dataset
Big data analysis
Phenology
Bird
Citizen science
Novel data
Ongoing

Multiple ongoing projects

Aug 22, 2026
Heng-Xing Zou, Thabassum Hashmi Hajamaideen, Robert Ernst, Benjamin Freeman, Kai Zhu, Brian Weeks

Abundance redistribution changes predator-prey interaction potentials

A new metric reveals widespread increase in predator-prey interactions among North American birds
Big data analysis
First-author
Functional ecology
Bird

Accepted, Global Change Biology

Aug 20, 2026
Heng-Xing Zou, Chia Hsieh, Phoebe Zarnetske, Brian Weeks, Kai Zhu

Functional shifts of bird communities determined by hyper-dominant species

A few species that respond dramatically to land use change greatly affect bird functional composition
Big data analysis
First-author
Functional ecology
Bird

In review, Ecology Letters

Aug 19, 2026
Heng-Xing Zou, Adam Smith, Yiluan Song, Kai Zhu, Brian Weeks

Life history traits predict bird range shifts

High fecundity predicts faster latitudinal but slower elevational range shifts in birds
Big data analysis
Functional ecology
Bird
First-author

In review, Global Ecology and Biogeography

Jul 10, 2026
Heng-Xing Zou, Yifanzi Zhu, Anshuman Swain

Microbiome-driven environmental changes shape plant coexistence

Competitive outcomes between two duckweed species depend on the presence of microbiomes
Experiment
Plant-soil feedback
Plant
First-author

In review, Proceedings B

Jun 9, 2026
Heng-Xing Zou, Xiyan Feng, Xinyi Yan, Jiaqi Tan

Effect of phenology and number of generations per season on coexistence

Lab experiments on Tribolium beetles show synergistic effects between priority effects and voltinism
Experiment
Priority effects
Phenology
First-author

Published in Ecology, 2026

Apr 27, 2026
Heng-Xing Zou, Volker Rudolf

Time-dependent interaction modification from plant-soil feedback

A novel plant-soil feedback model reveals higher-order interactions that change through plant phenology
Theory
Plant
Phenology
Plant-soil feedback
First-author

Published in Ecology Letters, 2024

Apr 18, 2024
Heng-Xing Zou, Xinyi Yan, Volker Rudolf

Bridging theory and experiments of priority effects

Proposing a new framework of priority effects based on their biological mechanisms
Theory
Priority effects
Phenology
First-author

Published in Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 2023

Oct 20, 2023
Heng-Xing Zou, Volker Rudolf

Priority effects in stage-structured populations over seasons

Stage-mediated priority effects and season lengths shape long-term competition dynamics
Theory
Priority effects
Phenology
First-author

Published in Proceedings B, 2023

Aug 29, 2023
Heng-Xing Zou, Sebastian Schreiber, Volker Rudolf

Priority effects shape dispersal-diversity relationships

How dispersal changes biodiversity metrics in seasonal metacommunities depend on priority effects
Theory
Priority effects
Phenology
First-author

Published in The American Naturalist, 2023

Feb 6, 2023
Heng-Xing Zou, Volker Rudolf

Primary succession of plant community on industrial waste

Slag fundamentally changed plant community assembly and composition
Experiment
Field
Plant
First-author

Published in PLOS ONE, 2019

Oct 8, 2019
Heng-Xing Zou, Alison Anastasio, Catherine Pfister
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