empower research, enrich diversity
(eds) B. Redfield, J. Liang
September 1, 2026 @ Science–i team
Dear Fellow Scientists,
Welcome to the Summer 2026 edition of the Science–i.org Newsletter!
Over the past several years, Science-i has continued to grow into a truly global community of researchers dedicated to advancing science through collaboration, inclusion, and shared knowledge. Today, our network connects more than 620 members across 66 countries, supporting 32 active research projects and contributing to one of the world’s largest ground-sourced forest inventory resources.
This edition highlights recent milestones across the Science-i community, including new research initiatives, publications, and the establishment of Internodes as the nonprofit organization supporting Science-i’s continued growth and impact.
We are grateful to our members, collaborators, and partners around the world whose contributions make this work possible. Together, we are building a more connected, diverse, and collaborative future for global science.
Best regards
Jingjing Liang, Ph.D.
Founder and CSO, Science–I
Top News
InterNodes established as Science-i’s Nonprofit Partner
We are pleased to share that InterNodes has been established as the nonprofit organization representing Science-i. InterNodes will provide the organizational, legal, and administrative, foundation for Science-i’s continued development, including its scientific programs, data services, partnerships, and global community-building activities.
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Science-i is a global research platform connecting data, advanced computing, and scientific expertise to accelerate discovery and international collaboration.
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InterNodes is an independent nonprofit organization that underpins the long-term sustainability, accessibility, partnerships, and global impact of Science-i.
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Copyright © 2026 InterNodes Inc.
Featured Projects
Science-i currently supports 32 active research projects spanning forest biodiversity, global change, remote sensing, and other areas of collaborative research. In this edition, we highlight four projects representing recent work across our community.
Beta diversity-ecosystem functioning relationships in global forests
PI: Florent Noulekoun
Ongoing research project
Examining how taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic beta diversity influence forest ecosystem functioning across environmental gradients worldwide.
Near real-time forecasting of fall color phenology
PI: Bina Thapa
Ongoing research project
Integrating field observations, satellite remote sensing, and climate data to monitor and forecast the timing, duration, and intensity of autumn foliage under a changing climate.
Global community level patterns of forest hydraulic traits and their environmental controls
PI: Lidong Mo
Ongoing research project
Mapping how forests around the world transport and regulate water to identify patterns of drought tolerance, vulnerability, and resilience under a changing climate.
Testing the accuracy of plant species distribution maps, generated from occurrence data
PI: David Coomes
Ongoing research project
Using global vegetation plot data to evaluate and improve plant species distribution maps and global vascular plant species richness models for conservation planning.
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Current Work: GFBI Re-registration and Global Data Renewal
We are currently conducting a comprehensive GFBI re-registration and data verification effort in preparation for the launch of an updated GFBI global forest inventory resource for research and community services.
This work involves directly contacting individual data contributors and users to verify dataset ownership, contributor roles, affiliations, plot information, acknowledgements, usage conditions, and newly available datasets. The process is intentionally careful and labor-intensive: records are reviewed dataset by dataset, discrepancies are resolved through personal correspondence, and contributors are given the opportunity to correct, update, or expand the information associated with their data.
For example, recent correspondence with a GFBI contributor involved reconciling dataset names with archived files, confirming principal and co-contributor roles, removing incorrectly associated contributors, resolving differences in plot counts, updating affiliations and acknowledgements, and identifying an additional dataset for possible inclusion.
This re-registration effort is laying the foundation for a more accurate, transparent, and contributor-centered GFBI database, while preparing Science-i and InterNodes to provide expanded global data access, research support, and community services.
Science-i Community Growth
Science–i now hosts more than 620 registered members from 66 countries.
We are proud to highlight:
>32 active projects
>1.8 million plots in GFI-3D
>92 publications since 2022
>Approx. 50% of members from the Global South
Global Reach
66 countries represented
14 African countries
17 Asian countries
21 European countries
9 South American countries
3 North American countries
2 Oceanian countries
Ecology (320)
Forestry (249)
Remote Sensing (63)
Computer Science (22)
Economics (10)
Anthropology (6)
Research Impact
>92 peer-reviewed publications since 2022
>19 led by researchers in the Global South
>56 additional publications co-authored by Global South researchers
Advisors
Science–i thanks our new
Science Advisors and Community
Advisors for their service and guidance!
Science Advisors
Constant Yves Adou Yao (Côte d’Ivoire)
Thomas Crowther (Swizterland)
Jingyun Fang (China)
Javier G.P. Gamarra (Italy)
Nancy Harris (USA)
Bruno Hérault (Côte d’Ivoire)
Martin Herold (Germany)
Cang Hui (South Africa)
Nicolas Picard (France)
Jens-Christian Svenning (Denmark)
Nadezhda M. Tchebakova (Russia)
Community Advisors
Meredith Bastian (USA)
Rocio Condor (Italy)
Irié Casimir Zo-Bi (Côte d’Ivoire)
Musingo Tito E. Mbuvi (Kenya)
Florence Palla (Cameroon)
Bryan Van Stippen (USA)