Weimin Xi, Ph.D.

Weimin Xi is a broadly trained applied quantitative plant ecologist, restoration ecologist, and ecological modeler. He is a research scientist and professor with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, where he holds the Frances and Peter Swenson Endowed Chair in Rangeland Restoration Ecology.

Dr. Xi received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Following this, he spent five years as a Research Associate in the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University, and three years as a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He then joined the Department of Biological and Health Sciences at Texas A&M University–Kingsville as a professor of ecosystem ecology and plant biology, a position he held for thirteen years.

Dr. Xi’s research interests span restoration ecology, fire ecology, native and invasive plants, vegetation mapping, ecological modeling, wildlife habitat management, conservation GIS, and climate change biology. His dissertation explored the role of intermediate and large-scale disturbances in maintaining species coexistence and diversity in temperate regions. Broadly, his research focuses on understanding the patterns and drivers of plant community responses to natural disturbances—both abiotic (such as heat waves, drought, wildfires or prescribed burns, hurricanes, and other climatic extremes) and biotic (including bark beetle outbreaks and hemlock woolly adelgid infestations)—as well as to management treatments. The central focus of his work is to investigate the ecological consequences of disturbance events on plant communities and their trajectories of recovery following both natural disturbances and various management interventions. He examines how these interconnected processes influence plant species composition, dynamics, and restoration.

At the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Weimin is devoted to rangeland restoration ecology and research, focusing on the use of native plants, prescribed burns, and adaptive grazing management to improve the management of native plant populations and enhance overall ecosystem health. His broad research interests include wildlife habitat, plant community dynamics, ecological restoration, and land management. His research team conducts applied studies on strategies and technologies to restore degraded rangelands in south and west Texas. Their work emphasizes the impacts of insect outbreaks (such as mealybugs) on rangeland productivity, land use history and restoration, habitat management on plant and wildlife population dynamics, as well as interactions among habitats, species, and communities. Additional research endeavors include ecology education, technology application and interdisciplinary networking for workforce training, and international collaborations. For example, he works with partners in Costa Rica to promote scientific research in tropical rainforest to conserve the biodiversity and cultural exchange among local communities and students in universities.

Dr. Xi has taught a wide range of courses, including General Biology, Ecology, Advanced Ecology, Tropical Ecology, Plant Taxonomy, And Plant Systematics. Currently, he teaches Rangeland Plants for undergraduate students and Restoration Ecology for graduate students in the Department of Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences.

The Xi Restoration Ecology Research lab