Sponsored by the Ecological Society of China (ESC) and undertaken by the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the 19th China Ecology Congress was successfully held during November 21-22, 2020. Due to the limitations of COVID-19 prevention and control on large-scale events, the Congress was organized in an innovative way through the combination of online and offline activities. Vice President Wang Kelin presided over the opening ceremony, and Vice President Wu Wenliang, Vice President Zhu Jiaojun and Vice President An Lizhe presided over the Congress of different stages respectively.

At the offline opening ceremony, Liu Xingping, Director of the Academic Department of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), fully affirmed the achievements made by ESC on the aspects of the Party building, academic exchanges, science popularization and decision-making consultations, international cooperation, talent cultivation and recommendations, etc. He encouraged ESC to continue building a high-quality academic exchange platform, platform for the integration of science, technology and economy and the international open cooperation platform. President Ouyang Zhiyun introduced the responsibilities and duties of ESC as a Chinese science and technology association under the normalization of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, and urged vast scientific and technical workers in the ecological field to be guided by General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the symposium of scientists, to constantly build a beautiful China and practice the development concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. Ren Hai, Director of the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, congratulated the successful opening of the Congress via video. He reviewed the major scientific achievements made by the South China Botanical Garden since its establishment, and expressed the warm welcome on behalf of the undertaking institution.

Opening ceremony 

 The theme of the Congress is "New Mission of Ecological Science: Promoting Harmony between Man and Nature". The speakers (including Yu Guirui, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Yang Zhifeng, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Zhu Yongguan, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Zhang Si, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Chen Liding, Researcher of the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Yan Junhua, Researcher of the South China Botanical Garden, CAS; Zhao Xinquan, Researcher of the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, CAS; He Xingyuan, Researcher of the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology (IGA), CAS; Cheng Lei, Professor at Zhejiang University; Tang Zhiyao, Associate Professor at Peking University) made wonderful plenary presentations on the following aspect: several ecological issues relating to natural conservation as well as resources and environment management; environmental and ecological engineering - discipline development path and prospects; soil microbiome and soil health; research on cold spring ecosystem; history, current situation and future development of landscape ecology in China; ecological civilization construction perspective in a new era; the versatility of grassland and the construction of nature protected area; the response of ecosystem to climate change: microbial perspective; construction, diversity and functions of plant community; etc.

Plenary speeches

At the online closing ceremony of the Congress, Secretary-General Zhong Linsheng read out the list of winners of the "6th Youth Science and Technology Award of ESC" and the "Outstanding Poster Award for Graduate Students of the 19th China Ecology Congress", and summarized the Congress.

Wonderful presentations at parallel sessions 

This Congress was held during a special period. It was a great mobilization for ESC and its academic colleagues to proceed with confidence, play its role in light of the times and circumstances, and serve the country's innovative development. It was also an important demonstration to build the ESC's brand academic platform, gather innovative academic achievements, and promote teamwork and talent cooperation in the field of ecology. The Congress mainly showed the following three features:

1) Deepen the Congress innovation. While ensuring strict epidemic prevention and control, various activities were organized and promoted through the Beijing-Guangzhou interaction in a green, pragmatic and efficient manner, creating a safe and convenient online conference environment and a simple and warm offline conference environment. The Congress changed from "multiple events in one place" and "offline activities” to a new pattern of "extending in multiple localities and radiating the whole country" and "combining online and offline activities". 3 offline activities and 40 online activities were organized, effectively enlarged the service coverage and social effect of the Congress. 

Congress site

2) Rich academic contents. The Congress had a large group of specially invited speakers, who are on the cutting edge of ecology and presented the important new progress at home and abroad. 592 oral presentations and 110 academic posters reflected the new achievements in different subfields and research directions. In particular, many studies focused on national, regional or local ecological practices and centered on the national needs of ecological civilization construction. These fully reflected that the discipline had great development potential.

3) Outstanding communication effect of the Congress. Through the customized, professional and diversified live broadcast of academic conference, the spreading rate of this online Congress was significantly improved, and the expected academic exchange purpose and warm academic exchange atmosphere were achieved. According to statistics, as of the afternoon of November 22, a total of nearly 80,000 people watched the presentations made by the specially invited speakers and the presentations at parallel sessions through the online broadcast room of the Congress platform, and participated in the interactive questioning in the broadcast room, which fully reflected the wide popularity and recognition of ecology.

This Congress united the scientific and technical practitioners and youth graduate students in the field of ecology and related fields. It built an important platform to present outcomes in the field of ecology, gather ecology-related creativity and wisdom, and support China's social and economic development and the improvement of ecological civilization. It was a high-level large-scale academic meeting in the field of ecology in China which further strengthened and improved the brand effect of China Ecology Congress. ESC will take this Congress as an opportunity to stay true to its original intention and keep its mission in mind. Under the leadership of the higher authorities, ESC will make new and greater contributions to building a powerful nation of science and technology in the world, promoting socialist ecological civilization and realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.