2016年获北京师范大学学士学位，2022年获加拿大湖首大学博士学位，2022年至2023年在加拿大拉瓦尔大学进行博士后研究，现任中国科学院植物研究所研究员。2025年获国家自然科学家基金委青年科学基金（B类）资助。共发表论文20余篇，其中在Nature、Nature Communications、National Science Review和New Phytologist等期刊以第一或通讯作者（含共同）发表论文10篇。

主要研究方向：

结合野外多样性实验与全球尺度数据分析，系统研究生物多样性与生态系统功能（Biodiversity–Ecosystem Functioning, BEF）关系，重点揭示全球变化背景下植物多样性对生态系统碳循环的调控机制。主要研究方向包括：1）植物多样性调控群落生产力的生态机制；2）全球变化对生态系统功能及BEF关系的影响；3）植物多样性对土壤微生物与土壤碳的影响。

主持科研项目：

1. 生物多样性与生态系统功能，国家基金委青年科学基金项目B类，2026-2028，主持

2. 亚热带森林树木多样性对根际土壤有机碳的影响及其内在机制，国家基金委青年科学基金项目C类，2025-2027，主持

论文专著：

2025

[1] Chen C*, Xiao W, Chen HYH*. 2025. Meta-analysis reveals global variations in plant diversity effects on productivity. Nature. 638: 435–440.

[2]  Chen C^#, Yan G^#, Schmid B, Li Y, Bongers FJ, Bruelheide H, Huang Y, Li S, von Oheimb G, Tang T, Verheyen K, Yang B, Ma KP, Liu XJ*. 2025. Understory shrub diversity: equally vital as overstory tree diversity to promote forest productivity. National Science Review. 12: nwaf093.

[3]  Chen C, Bongers FJ, Schmid B, Ma KP, Liu, XJ*. 2025. Ecosystem consequences of functional diversity in forests and implications for restoration. New Phytologist. 247: 1081-1097.

[4]  Deng X, Schmid B, Bruelheide H, Chen C, Li Y, Li S, Morsdorf F, Ray T, Schuman MC, Tang T, von Oheimb G, Ma KP, Liu XJ*. 2025. Forest biodiversity increases productivity via complementarity from greater canopy structural complexity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 122: e2506750122.

[5]  Zhang Y, Peng S, Ma Z, Chen C, Gao B, Chen X*, Chen HYH. 2025. Increased positive tree species mixture effects on the abundance and richness of Collembola with stand development in Canadian boreal forests. Forest Ecosystems. 13: 100294.

2023

[6]  Chen C & Xiao W*. 2023. The global positive effect of phosphorus addition on soil microbial biomass. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 176: 108882.

[7]  Chen C^#*, Xiao W^#, Chen HYH. 2023. Mapping global soil acidification under N deposition. Global Change Biology. 29(16): 4652-4661.

[8]  Chen C*, Chen X, Chen HYH. 2023. Mapping N deposition impacts on soil microbial biomass across global terrestrial ecosystems. Geoderma. 433: 116429.

[9]  Zhu Y*, Chen C, Chen HYH. 2023. Sapling recruitment does not compensate for increased tree mortality under climate change. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 343: 109763.

2022

[10] Chen C*, Chen X, Peng S, Xiao W, Guo Y, Zhang Y, Zhu Y, McLaren B, Chen HYH. 2022. Neighborhood dissimilarity consistently attenuates competition stress on tree growth under altered water availability in a natural boreal forest. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 324: 109101.

[11] Jiang D, Xu C, Xu X*, Luo Y, Chen C, Ju C, Chen HYH, Shi Z, Ruan H. 2022. Carbon and nitrogen dynamics in tropical ecosystems following fire. Global Ecology and Biogeography. 31: 378-391.

2021

[12] Xiao W, Chen C, Chen HYH*. 2021. Tree species composition and selection effects drive overstory and understory productivity in reforested oil sands mining sites. Land Degradation & Development. 32: 1135-1147.

[13] Chen X, Chen HYH*, Searle EB, Chen C, Reich PB. 2021. Negative to positive shifts in diversity effects on soil nitrogen over time. Nature Sustainability. 4: 225-232.

2020及以前

[14] Chen C, Chen HYH*, Chen X, Huang Z*. 2019. Meta-analysis shows positive effects of plant diversity on microbial biomass and respiration. Nature Communications. 10: 1332.

[15] Chen C, Chen HYH*, Chen X. 2020. Functional diversity enhances, but exploitative traits reduce tree mixture effects on microbial biomass. Functional Ecology. 34: 276-286.

[16] Xiao W^#, Chen C^#, Chen X, Huang Z, Chen HYH*. 2020. Functional and phylogenetic diversity promote litter decomposition across terrestrial ecosystems. Global Ecology and Biogeography. 29: 2261-2272.

[17] 陈晨，刘丹辉，吴键军，康慕谊*，张金屯，刘全儒，梁钰. 2015. 东灵山地区辽东栎叶性状与地形因子关系. 《生态学杂志》. 34: 2131-2139.

[18] Zhu Y, Chen C, Guo Y, Fu S, Chen HYH*. 2020. Linking leaf-level morphological and physiological plasticity to seedling survival and growth of introduced Canadian sugar maple to elevated precipitation under warming. Forest Ecology and Management. 457: 117758.

[19] Chen X, Chen HYH*, Chen C, Ma Z, Searle EB, Yu Z, Huang Z*. 2020. Effects of plant diversity on soil carbon in diverse ecosystems: A global meta-analysis. Biological Reviews. 95: 167-183.

[20] Chen X, Chen HYH*, Chen C, Peng S. 2019. Water availability regulates negative effects of species mixture on soil microbial biomass in boreal forests. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 139: 107634.

[21] Xiao W, Chen HYH, Kumar P, Chen C, Guan Q*. 2019. Multiple interactions between tree composition and diversity and microbial diversity underly litter decomposition. Geoderma. 341: 161-171.

[22] Xing K, Zhao M, Chen C, Wang Y, Xue F, Zhang Y, Dong X, Jiang Y, Chen HYH*, Kang M*. 2018. Leaf phosphorus content of Quercus wutaishanica increases with total soil potassium in the Loess Plateau. PLoS ONE.13: e0201350.

[23] Xing K, Kang M*, Chen HY, Zhao M, Wang Y, Wang G, Chen C, Liu Y, Dong X*. 2016. Determinants of the N content of Quercus wutaishanica leaves in the Loess Plateau: a structural equation modeling approach. Scientific Reports. 6: 26845.