Haohua He

Biography

I have been interested in soil organic carbon dynamics and the underlying biotic–abiotic mechanisms from a biogeochemical perspective, particularly in the context of climate change, since my Master's studies. Fascinated by the pivotal role of microbial interactions in driving soil processes, I joined the MACE lab to further pursue this line of research.My current PhD project focuses on Alpine soils, which harbor extensive permafrost and periodically frozen soils. These soils are increasingly subjected to intensified freeze–thaw cycles (FTC) under a warming climate, potentially exerting changes in diverse soil carbon pools, microbial communities, and their metabolic functions—all of which are closely linked to greenhouse gas (GHG; e.g., CO₂, CH₄, N₂O) emissions. My research aims to disentangle the impacts of changing FTC regimes on soil microbial carbon cycling and associated GHG fluxes, while investigating microbial resilience and adaptive responses under these environmental shifts.
In the meantime, as a member of the NCCR Microbiomes Society, I'm working on the influence of specific microbial inoculum on soil microsite formation and carbon cycling.