Tong joined the NEON Convergence Summit 2025 in Boulder

Oct 20, 2025
Link to NEON summit

The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Convergence Summit is a highly interactive, in-person working conference that brings together an interdisciplinary group of researchers motivated to explore innovative ways NEON data, samples, and infrastructure can advance continental-scale biology. Over three days, participants will engage in dynamic discussions and collaborative activities designed to spark ideas and products, culminating in the co-development of impactful research outputs. Tong lead a working group that focused on understanding the synchrony and co-variation across trophic levels and how they are influenced by climate change and disturbance.

During the event, Tong also visited the NEON Airborne Observatory Platform (AOP). Lots of lab’s research project relies on NEON AOP and this is the first time for him to observe how data is actually collected.

This is AOP's intergrated sensor for LiDAR, Hyperspectral, and RGB data collection
This is AOP’s intergrated sensor for LiDAR, Hyperspectral, and RGB data collection

Tong also got a chance to visit the Central Plains Experimental Range (CPER) site, which is totally different from a forested landscape.

Site visit at the CPER site, with plot that measures soil fluxes.
Site visit at the CPER site, with plot that measures soil fluxes.

Tong Qiu
Tong Qiu
Assistant Professor of Ecology

I study impacts of global change on ecosystem functions.