2011:  PhD, Meteorology Application, Lanzhou University.  

2003:  B.S. Computer science, Lanzhou University

Application and improvement of distributed hydrological model;  

Coupling regional climate model and hydrological model

2024-present:  Professor, Key laboratory of west China’s Environmental System (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environment Sciences, Lanzhou University.

2014-2024:  Associate Professor, Key laboratory of west China’s Environmental System (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environment Sciences, Lanzhou University.

2011 - 2014:  Postdoctor, Key laboratory of west China’s Environmental System (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environment Sciences, Lanzhou University.

1.         Distributed hydrological model in watershed

2.         Python language

Main achievements are as follows:
1) Data Fusion Scheme: A dynamic multi-source data fusion scheme for high-altitude mountainous areas was proposed, constructing a large-scale, high-resolution soil moisture dataset that provides detailed data support for studying the impacts of environmental changes.
2) Mechanism Revelation: For the first time, a systematic revelation of three patterns of soil moisture profile response to precipitation in mainland China was made: Uniform, Shallow-decline, and Multi-phase, along with their influencing factors. An innovative discovery was made highlighting the lateral flow in unsaturated soil as a key process in moisture redistribution in high-altitude mountainous areas, pointing out that neglecting this process is a major source of error in current Earth system models, thus laying a significant foundation for the improvement and development of Earth system models in high-altitude mountainous areas.
3) Model Improvement and Innovation: Multi-scale assessments revealed a systemic underestimation of evapotranspiration (ET) and overestimation of soil moisture in CLM5.0. Based on model mechanisms, improvements were made to model parameters, enhancing simulation performance. A hybrid model combining physical mechanisms with AI methods was constructed to more accurately simulate land-atmosphere interactions under changing environments, providing new means to assess the impacts of climate change and human activities on terrestrial-atmosphere water cycle processes.

1. General Project funded by NSFC: The mechanism of two-dimension soil water movement and its intelligent simulation in the Qilian mountain。 January 2024 - December 2027. Principal Investigator, In progress.
2. Key Project funded by NSFC: Analysis of impact of soil hydraulic property on mountainous hydrological process at multiple spatial scales. January 2021 - December 2025. Participant, In progress.
3. General Project funded by NSFC: Impact of soil moisture on land surface hydrological processes and its simulation in the Qilian Mountain. January 2019 - December 2022. Principal Investigator, Completed.
4. Youth Project funded by NSFC: Assimilation of remote sensing soil moisture data in distributed hydrological model and its effect on model performance. January 2016 - December 2018. Principal Investigator, Completed.
5. Key Project funded by NSFC: Impacts of land use/cover change on land surface water-energy processes in the agricultural-pastoral transitional zone, Northwest China. January 2016 - December 2020. Participant, Completed.

[1] 	Zhang, L.*, Z. Wang, X. Bai, H. Zhang, Y. Liu. 2025. A time-invariant bias correction strategy for improving CLM5.0 evapotranspiration simulation by random forest method for mainland China. Atmospheric Research. 324:108196.
[2] 	Zhang, L.*, J. Tu, Q. An, Y. Liu, J. Xu, H. Zhang. 2024. Understanding and simulating of three-dimensional subsurface hydrological partitioning in an alpine mountainous area, China. J. Arid Land, 16(11): 1463-1483. 
[3] 	Zhang, L.*, F. Ning, X. Bai, X. Zeng, C. He. 2023. Performance evaluation of CLM5.0 in simulating liquid soil water in high mountainous area, Northwest China. Journal of Mountain Science 20(7), 1865-1883. 
[4] 	Zhang, L.*, C. He*, W. Tian, Y. Zhu. 2021. Evaluation of precipitation datasets from TRMM satellite and downscaled reanalysis products with bias–correction in Middle Qilian mountain. Chinese Geographical Science. 31(3), 1-17. 
[5] 	Zhang, L., C. He*, M. Zhang, Y. Zhu. 2019. Evaluation of the SMOS and SMAP soil moisture products under different vegetation types against two sparse in situ networks over arid mountainous watersheds, Northwest China. Science China Earth Sciences. 62: 703–718. 
[6] 	Zhang, L., C. He*, M. Zhang. 2017. Multi-Scale Evaluation of the SMAP Product Using Sparse In-Situ Network over a High Mountainous Watershed, Northwest China. Remote sensing. 9(11), 1111. 
[7] 	Zhang, L., C. He*, X. Bai, Y. Zhu. 2017. Physically-based adjustment factors for precipitation estimation in a large arid mountainous watershed, Northwest China. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering. 22 (11), 04017047. 
[8] 	Zhang, L., C. He*, J. Li, Y. Wang, Z. Wang. 2017. Comparison of IDW and physically-based IDEW method in hydrological modelling for a large mountainous watershed, Northwest China. River research and applications. 33 (6), 912-924. 
[9] 	Zhang, L, X. Jin, C. He*, B. Zhang, X. Zhang, J. Li, C. Zhao, J. Tian, C. DeMarchi. 2016. Comparison of SWAT and DLBRM for hydrological modelling of a mountainous watershed in arid Northwest China. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering. 21(5), 04016007. 
[10] 	Zhang, L., S. Wang, C. He*, K. Shang, L. Meng, X. Li, B. M. Lofgren. 2015. A New Method for Instant Correction of Numerical Weather Prediction Products in China. Science China Earth Sciences. 58(2), 231-244. 
[11] 	Zhang, L., S. Wang, C. He*, X. Jin. 2014. Development of an instant correction and display system of Numerical Weather Prediction Products in China. Chinese Geographical Science. 24(6), 682-693. 
[12] 	Zhu, Y., L. Zhang*, F. Li, J, Xu, C. He. 2023. Comparison of Data Fusion Methods in Fusing Satellite Products and Model Simulations for Estimating Soil Moisture on Semi-Arid Grasslands. Remote Sensing. 15, 3789. 
[13] 	Liu, Z., H. Hou, L. Zhang*, B. Hu. 2022. Event-Based Bias Correction of the GPM IMERG V06 Product by Random Forest Method over Mainland China. Remote Sensing. 14, 3859. 
[14] 	Tan, X., L. Zhang*, C. He*, Y. Zhu, Z. Han, X. Li. 2020. Applicability of cosmic-ray neutron sensor for measuring soil moisture at the agricultural-pastoral ecotone in northwest China. Science China Earth Sciences. 63, 1730–1744. 
[15] 	Bai, X., L. Zhang, C. He, Y. Zhu. 2020. Estimating Regional Soil Moisture Distribution Based on NDVI and Land Surface Temperature Time Series Data in the Upstream of the Heihe River Watershed, Northwest China. Remote sensing. 12, 2414. 
[16] 	Li, J., L. Zhang*, C. He*, C. Zhao. 2018. A Comparison of Markov Chain Random Field and Ordinary Kriging Methods for Calculating Soil Texture in a Mountainous Watershed, Northwest China. Sustainability. 10, 2819. 
[17] 	Jiang, Y., L. Zhang*, B. Zhang, C. He*, X. Jin, X. Bai. 2016. Modeling irrigation management for water conservation by DSSAT-maize model in arid northwestern China. Agricultural Water Management. 177, 37-45. 
[18] 	Zhang, B.Q., M. Burnham, C. He*, L. Zhang. 2015. Evaluating the coupling effects of climate aridity and vegetation restoration on soil erosion over the Loess Plateau in China. Science of The Total Environment. 539, 436-449. 
[19] 	Zhang, X., L. Zhang, C. He*, J. Li, Y. Jiang, L. Ma. 2014. Quantifying the impacts of land use/land cover change on groundwater depletion in Northwestern China – A case study of the Dunhuang oasis. Agricultural Water Management. 146, 270-279. 
[20] 	Jin, X., C. He*, L. Zhang, B.Q. Zhang. 2018. A Modified Groundwater Module in SWAT for Better Streamflow Simulation in a Large Arid Endorheic River Watershed, Northwest China. Chinese Geographical Science. 28(1), 47-60.  
[21] 	Jin, X.，L. Zhang，J. Gu，C. Zhao，J. Tian，C. He*. 2015. Modeling the impacts of spatial heterogeneity in soil hydraulic properties on hydrological process in the upper reach of the Heihe River in the Qilian Mountains, Northwest China. Hydrological Processes. 29(15), 3318-3327. 
[22] 	He, C. *, L. Zhang, C. DeMarchi, T.E. Croley II. 2014. Estimating point and non-point source nutrient loads in the Saginaw Bay watersheds. J. Great Lakes Research. 40 (7165), 11-17. 
[23] 	Fu, L., L. Zhang, C. He*. 2014. Analysis of Agricultural Land Use Change in the Middle Reach of the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 11(3), 2698-2712.