2026 Honoree
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Zhengfeng An University of Alberta |
2026 CSSS Early Career Professional Award to Dr. Zhengfeng An (UofA)
Dr. Zhengfeng An is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow and Forest Soils Laboratory Manager in the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta. Zhengfeng completed his Ph.D. in Soil Science at the University of Alberta (Supervisor: Dr. Scott X. Chang), including a research exchange at the University of Pennsylvania (Host: Dr. Alain F. Plante), and his M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Combating from Northwest A&F University and Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, respectively. Zhengfeng’s research focuses on soil organic matter stability, carbon and nitrogen cycling, greenhouse gas emissions, and the responses of soil biogeochemical processes to climate extremes across cropland, grassland, and agroforestry systems.
Zhengfeng’s research has provided global-scale evidence that crop rotation enhances soil microbial diversity in croplands worldwide, and has advanced understanding of how management practices – including biochar amendments and carbon-based fertilizers – regulate soil organic matter quality and greenhouse gas fluxes. His work further demonstrated that heat wave events significantly alter CO₂ and N₂O emissions from agricultural and forest soils, with direct implications for climate-smart soil management. Zhengfeng has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Nature Communications, Geoderma, and Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment.