Feng Tao
Feng Tao's research uses computer models, big data, and artificial intelligence to study soil carbon dynamics and help address climate change. He focuses on “physics-informed” AI, which integrates physical principles and earth science knowledge into machine learning models. The goal is to help AI not just recognize patterns, but understand the underlying processes of the earth system, especially for predicting soil behavior that affects the climate.
Before joining Penn State, Tao was a Schmidt AI for Science Postdoctoral Fellow at Cornell University, where he worked with Dean Ben Houlton on enhanced rock weathering. He earned his Ph.D. in Ecology from Tsinghua University in 2023, working with Prof. Yiqi Luo (Cornell) and Prof. Xiaomeng Huang (Tsinghua) on soil organic carbon and AI. He received his B.S. in Environmental Science from Sun Yat-sen University in 2018.
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Recent Publications
Small vegetation biomass retention efficiency across global forests
Chen, J., Wei, F., Yang, H., Tao, F., Zhou, J., Zou, X., Zhang, J., Yang, L. & Huang, Y., Dec 2026, In: Communications Earth and Environment. 7, 1, 116.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Productivity-driven decoupling of microbial carbon use efficiency and respiration across global soils
Cui, Y., Peng, S., Delgado-Baquerizo, M., Moorhead, D. L., Sinsabaugh, R. L., Terrer, C., Smith, T. P., Kuzyakov, Y., Peñuelas, J., Zhu, B., Tao, F., Hong, S., Chen, J. & Rillig, M. C., Jan 14 2026, In: Science Advances. 12, 3, p. 1-11 11 p., eadz5319.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Correction to: Large CO2 removal potential of woody debris preservation in managed forests (Nature Geoscience, (2025), 18, 7, (675-681), 10.1038/s41561-025-01731-2)
Luo, Y., Wei, N., Lu, X., Zhou, Y., Tao, F., Quan, Q., Liao, C., Jiang, L., Xia, J., Huang, Y., Niu, S., Xu, X., Sun, Y., Zeng, N., Koven, C., Peng, L., Davis, S., Smith, P., You, F. & Jiang, Y. & 2 others, , Aug 2025, In: Nature Geoscience. 18, 8, p. 809 1 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review
Large CO2 removal potential of woody debris preservation in managed forests
Luo, Y., Wei, N., Lu, X., Zhou, Y., Tao, F., Quan, Q., Liao, C., Jiang, L., Xia, J., Huang, Y., Niu, S., Xu, X., Sun, Y., Zeng, N., Koven, C., Peng, L., Davis, S., Smith, P., You, F. & Jiang, Y. & 2 others, , Jul 2025, In: Nature Geoscience. 18, 7, p. 675-681 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Emerging multiscale insights on microbial carbon use efficiency in the land carbon cycle
He, X., Abs, E., Allison, S. D., Tao, F., Huang, Y., Manzoni, S., Abramoff, R., Bruni, E., Bowring, S. P. K., Chakrawal, A., Ciais, P., Elsgaard, L., Friedlingstein, P., Georgiou, K., Hugelius, G., Holm, L. B., Li, W., Luo, Y., Marmasse, G. & Nunan, N. & 4 others, , Dec 2024, In: Nature communications. 15, 1, 8010.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Size, distribution, and vulnerability of the global soil inorganic carbon
Huang, Y., Song, X., Wang, Y. P., Canadell, J. G., Luo, Y., Ciais, P., Chen, A., Hong, S., Wang, Y., Tao, F., Li, W., Xu, Y., Mirzaeitalarposhti, R., Elbasiouny, H., Savin, I., Shchepashchenko, D., Viscarra Rossel, R. A., Goll, D. S., Chang, J. & Houlton, B. Z. & 7 others, , Apr 12 2024, In: Science. 384, 6692, p. 233-239 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Observational benchmarks inform representation of soil organic carbon dynamics in land surface models
Nyaupane, K., Mishra, U., Tao, F., Yeo, K., Riley, W. J., Hoffman, F. M. & Gautam, S., Nov 19 2024, In: Biogeosciences. 21, 22, p. 5173-5183 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Convergence in simulating global soil organic carbon by structurally different models after data assimilation
Tao, F., Houlton, B. Z., Huang, Y., Wang, Y. P., Manzoni, S., Ahrens, B., Mishra, U., Jiang, L., Huang, X. & Luo, Y., May 2024, In: Global Change Biology. 30, 5, e17297.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Inorganic and organic synergies in enhanced weathering to promote carbon dioxide removal
Tao, F. & Houlton, B. Z., Jan 2024, In: Global Change Biology. 30, 1, e17132.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review
Reply to: Model uncertainty obscures major driver of soil carbon
Tao, F., Houlton, B. Z., Frey, S. D., Lehmann, J., Manzoni, S., Huang, Y., Jiang, L., Mishra, U., Hungate, B. A., Schmidt, M. W. I., Reichstein, M., Carvalhais, N., Ciais, P., Wang, Y. P., Ahrens, B., Hugelius, G., Hocking, T. D., Lu, X., Shi, Z. & Viatkin, K. & 13 others, , Mar 7 2024, In: Nature. 627, 8002, p. E4-E6Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review
Reply to "Beyond microbial carbon use efficiency"
Tao, F., Lehmann, J., Wang, Y. P., Jiang, L., Ahrens, B., Viatkin, K., Manzoni, S., Houlton, B. Z., Huang, Y., Huang, X. & Luo, Y., Apr 1 2024, In: National Science Review. 11, 4, nwae058.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review
Across-model spread and shrinking in predicting peatland carbon dynamics under global change
Hou, E., Ma, S., Huang, Y., Zhou, Y., Kim, H. S., López-Blanco, E., Jiang, L., Xia, J., Tao, F., Williams, C., Williams, M., Ricciuto, D., Hanson, P. J. & Luo, Y., May 2023, In: Global Change Biology. 29, 10, p. 2759-2775 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Matrix Approach to Accelerate Spin-Up of CLM5
Liao, C., Lu, X., Huang, Y., Tao, F., Lawrence, D. M., Koven, C. D., Oleson, K. W., Wieder, W. R., Kluzek, E., Huang, X. & Luo, Y., Aug 2023, In: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems. 15, 8, e2023MS003625.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Thermal acclimation of plant photosynthesis and autotrophic respiration in a northern peatland
Ma, S., Jiang, L., Wilson, R. M., Chanton, J., Niu, S., Iversen, C. M., Malhotra, A., Jiang, J., Huang, Y., Lu, X., Shi, Z., Tao, F., Liang, J., Ricciuto, D., Hanson, P. J. & Luo, Y., Jun 1 2023, In: Environmental Research: Climate. 2, 2, 025003.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Microbial carbon use efficiency promotes global soil carbon storage
Tao, F., Huang, Y., Hungate, B. A., Manzoni, S., Frey, S. D., Schmidt, M. W. I., Reichstein, M., Carvalhais, N., Ciais, P., Jiang, L., Lehmann, J., Wang, Y. P., Houlton, B. Z., Ahrens, B., Mishra, U., Hugelius, G., Hocking, T. D., Lu, X., Shi, Z. & Viatkin, K. & 13 others, , Jun 29 2023, In: Nature. 618, 7967, p. 981-985 5 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review