Dr. Qiongyu Huang, the Roger and Molly Sit Giant Panda Biologist at the Smithsonian National Zoo Conservation Biology Institute's Conservation Ecology Center, is a physical geographer specializing in GIS, remote sensing, and spatial analysis. His research focuses on developing solutions for complex conservation challenges by focusing on landscape- and continental-scale wildlife-habitat dynamics and large scale environmental datasets. Huang leverages satellite remote sensing data and innovative species distribution modeling in his research.

His current work includes assessing giant panda climate vulnerability, biodiversity modeling using NASA’s GEDI data, mapping Mongolian grasslands with drones, evaluating "Bird Friendly" coffee landscapes with satellite data in Central and South America, identifying socioeconomic drivers of land-use change in biodiverse hotspots, and developing novel methods for analyzing GPS-tracked animal movement data. He has served as principal investigator on NASA’s New Investigator, Land Cover Land Use Change, and Ecological Conservation Programs. Beyond research, he builds GIS and spatial analysis capacity globally, teaching spatial ecology and GIS at protected areas and the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation in Front Royal Virginia.

Qiongyu’s research mainly focuses on wildlife conservation and ecology, global environmental changes and its consequences on biodiversity. He is particularly interested in using geospatial and data-rich methodologies to answer macro- and landscape level questions regarding spatial patterns of species range, abundance, and movement.

He is specialized in utilizing GIS, remote sensing and spatial analysis to analyze various types of wildlife survey data, GPS tracking data, satellite remote sensing data. He is also keen on examining the relationship between social and humanistic factors and biodiverse natural systems. A particular species focus of Qiongyu is giant panda, he is heavily involved in National Zoological Park’s giant panda conservation programs, and travels regularly to China for research and providing capacity building training.

Article

• Yang, Hongbo, Huang, Qiongyu, Chen, Ruishan, Xu, Weihua, Li, Desheng, Yan, Xiao, Liu, Liangyu, and Zhu, Annah Lake. 2025. "Global breeding programme benefits wild panda conservation." Nature Ecology & Evolution, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02703-w. 2025
• Xu, Jin, Coleman, Kjirsten, Radeloff, Volker C., Songer, Melissa, and Huang, Qiongyu. 2025. "Modeling Worldwide Tree Biodiversity Using Canopy Structure Metrics from Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation Data." Remote Sensing, 17, (8) 1408. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17081408. 2025
• Xu, Jin, Farwell, Laura, Radeloff, Volker C., Luther, David, Songer, Melissa, Cooper, William Justin, and Huang, Qiongyu. 2024. "Avian diversity across guilds in North America versus vegetation structure as measured by the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI)." Remote Sensing of Environment, 315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2024.114446. 2024
• Zhang, Dongyao, Yang, Hongbo, Zhang, Jindong, Xu, Min, Xu, Weihua, Fu, Jianchao, Feng, Bin, Zhang, Hu, Huang, Qiongyu, Wu, Daifu, Zhang, Zejun, Songer, Melissa, and Hull, Vanessa. 2024. "Effects of climate warming on soil nitrogen cycles and bamboo growth in core giant panda habitat." Science of The Total Environment, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173625. 2024
• Yang, Hongbo, Zhang, Dongyao, Winkler, Julie Ann, Huang, Qiongyu, Zhang, Yuanbin, Wu, Peihua, Liu, Jianguo, Ouyang, Zhiyun, Xu, Weihua, Chen, Xiaodong, Wu, Daifu, Zhang, Jindong, and Songer, Melissa. 2024. "Field experiment reveals complex warming impacts on giant pandas' bamboo diet." Biological Conservation, 294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110635. 2024
• Cooper, W. Justin, McShea, William J., Songer, Melissa, Huang, Qiongyu, and Luther, David A. 2023. "Harmonizing spatial scales and ecological theories to predict avian richness and functional diversity within forest ecosystems." Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 290, (2001). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.0742. 2023
• Zahoor, Babar, Songer, Melissa A., Liu, Xuehua, Huang, Qiongyu, and Dai, Yunchuan. 2023. "Identifying stable and overlapping habitats for a predator (common leopard) and prey species (Himalayan grey goral & Himalayan grey langur) in northern Pakistan." Global Ecology and Conservation, 43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02418. 2023
• Huang, Qiongyu, Bateman, Brooke L., Michel, Nicole L., Pidgeon, Anna M., Radeloff, Volker C., Heglund, Patricia, Allstadt, Andrew J., Nowakowski, A. J., Wong, Jesse, and Sauer, John R. 2023. "Modeled distribution shifts of North American birds over four decades based on suitable climate alone do not predict observed shifts." Science of The Total Environment, 857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159603. 2023
• Huang, Qiongyu, Xu, Jin, Wong, Jesse Pan, Radeloff, Volker C., and Songer, Melissa. 2023. "Prioritizing global tall forests toward the 30‐by‐30 goal." Conservation Biology, https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14135. 2023
• Biswas, Sumalika, Huang, Qiongyu, Swe, Khine Khine, Arnold, Franz-Eugen, Mon, Myat Su, Connette, Katherine J. LaJeunesse, Connette, Grant, and Leimgruber, Peter. 2022. "Conservation Status of Forest Types Vary Greatly in Myanmar - the Most Forested Country in the Indo-burma Biodiversity Hotspot." ResearchSquare Preprint, https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1171476/v1. 2022
• Bai, Wenke, Zhang, Jindong, He, Ke, Zhao, Shanshan, Gu, Xiaodong, Hu, Jie, Songer, Melissa, Zhou, Caiquan, Dong, Xin, and Huang, Qiongyu. 2022. "Implications of habitat overlap between giant panda and sambar for sympatric multi-species conservation." Wildlife Research, https://doi.org/10.1071/WR22018. 2022
• McEvoy, J. F., Connette, G. M., Huang, Qiongyu, Soe, Paing, Pyone, Khin Htet Htet, Htun, Yan Lin, Lin, Aung Naing, Thant, Aung Lwin, Htun, Wai Yan, Paing, Kaung Htet, Swe, Khine Khine, Aung, Myint, Songer, M., and Leimgruber, P. 2022. "Joining the dots in an era of uncertainty – Reviewing Myanmar's Illegal wildlife trade and looking to the future." Global Ecology and Conservation, 37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02179. 2022
• Yang, Hongbo, Dietz, Thomas, Li, Yingjie, Dou, Yue, Wang, Yujun, Huang, Qiongyu, Zhang, Jindong, Songer, Melissa, and Liu, Jianguo. 2022. "Unraveling human drivers behind complex interrelationships among sustainable development goals: a demonstration in a flagship protected area." Ecology and Society, 27, (3) 15–15. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-13275-270315. 2022
• Yang, Hongbo, Vina, Andres, Winkler, Julie Ann, Chung, Min Gon, Huang, Qiongyu, Dou, Yue, McShea, William J., Songer, Melissa, Zhang, Jindong, and Liu, Jianguo. 2021. "A global assessment of the impact of individual protected areas on preventing forest loss." Science of the Total Environment, 777. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145995. 2021
• Sampson, Christie, Rodriguez, S. L., Leimgruber, Peter, Huang, Qiongyu, and Tonkyn, David. 2021. "A quantitative assessment of the indirect impacts of human-elephant conflict." Plos One, 16, (7). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253784. 2021
• Wang, Yujun, Yang, Hongbo, Qi, Dunwu, Songer, Melissa A., Bai, Wenke, Zhou, Caiquan, Zhang, Jindong, and Huang, Qiongyu. 2021. "Efficacy and management challenges of the zoning designations of China's national parks." Biological Conservation, 254 Article 108962. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.108962. 2021
• Dong, Xin, Zhang, Jindong, Gu, Xiaodong, Wang, Yujun, Bai, Wenke, and Huang, Qiongyu. 2021. "Evaluating habitat suitability and potential dispersal corridors across the distribution landscape of the Chinese red panda (Ailurus styani) in Sichuan, China." Global Ecology and Conservation, 28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01705. 2021
• Woods, Kevin M., Wang, Panshi, Sexton, Joseph O., Leimgruber, Peter, Wong, Jesse, and Huang, Qiongyu. 2021. "Integrating Pixels, People, and Political Economy to Understand the Role of Armed Conflict and Geopolitics in Driving Deforestation: The Case of Myanmar." Remote Sensing, 13, (22). https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13224589. 2021
• Yang, Hongbo, Huang, Qiongyu, Zhang, Jindong, Songer, Melissa, and Liu, Jianguo. 2021. "Range-wide assessment of the impact of China's nature reserves on giant panda habitat quality." Science of The Total Environment, 769 Article 145081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145081. 2021
• Huang, Qiongyu, Wang, Fang, Yang, Hongbo, Valitutto, Marc, and Songer, Melissa A. 2021. "Will the COVID-19 outbreak be a turning point for China's wildlife protection: New developments and challenges of wildlife conservation in China." Biological Conservation, 254 Article 108937. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108937. 2021
• Huang, Qiongyu, Fei, Yuxiang, Yang, Hongbo, Gu, Xiaodong, and Songer, Melissa A. 2020. "Giant Panda National Park, a step towards streamlining protected areas and cohesive conservation management in China." Global Ecology and Conservation, 22 Article e00947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e00947. 2020
• Dias, Thiago C., Stabach, Jared A., Huang, Qiongyu, Labruna, Marcelo B., Leimgruber, Peter, Ferraz, Katia M. P. M. B., Lopes, Beatriz, Luz, Hermes R., Costa, Francisco B., Benatti, Hector R., Correa, Lucas R., Nievas, Ana M., Monticelli, Patrícia F., Piovezan, Ubiratan, Szabó, Matias P. J., Aguiar, Daniel M., Brites-Neto, Jos, Port-Carvalho, Marcio, and Rocha, Vlamir J. 2020. "Habitat selection in natural and human-modified landscapes by capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), an important host for Amblyomma sculptum ticks." PLOS ONE, 15, (8) Articlee 0229277. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229277. 2020
• Bai, Wenke, Huang, Qiongyu, Zhang, Jindong, Stabach, Jared, Huang, Jinyan, Yang, Hongbo, Songer, Melissa, Connor, T., Liu, Jianguo, Zhou, Shiqiang, Zhang, Hemin, Zhou, Caiquan, and Hull, Vanessa. 2020. "Microhabitat selection by giant pandas." Biological Conservation, 247 UNSP 108615–UNSP 108615. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108615. 2020
• Huang, Qiongyu, Lothspeich, Audrey, Hernandez, Haydee Yanez, Mertes, Katherine, Liu, Xuehua, and Songer, Melissa. 2020. "What drove giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca expansion in the Qinling Mountains? An analysis comparing the influence of climate, bamboo, and various landscape variables in the past decade." Environmental Research Letters, 15, (8). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab86f3. 2020
• Robb, Benjamin, Huang, Qiongyu, Sexton, Joseph O., Stoner, David, and Leimgruber, Peter. 2019. "Environmental Differences between Migratory and Resident Ungulates—Predicting Movement Strategies in Rocky Mountain Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) with Remotely Sensed Plant Phenology, Snow, and Land Cover." Remote Sensing, 11, (17). https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11171980. 2019
• Xu, Wenjing, Huang, Qiongyu, Stabach, Jared, Buho, Hoshino, and Leimgruber, Peter. 2019. "Railway underpass location affects migration distance in Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii)." Plos One, 14, (2) 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211798. 2019
• Dong, Xin, Chu, Yuan-Meng-Ran, Gu, Xiaodong, Huang, Qiongyu, Zhang, Jindong, and Bai, Wenke. 2019. "Suitable habitat prediction of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) and its implications for conservation in Baihe Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China." Environmental science and pollution research international, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06369-3. 2019
• McEvoy, John F., Connette, Grant M., Huang, Qiongyu, Soe, Paing, Pyone, Khin Htet Htet, Valitutto, Marc T., Htun, Yan Lin, Lin, Aung Naing, Thant, Aung Lwin, Htun, Wai Yan, Paing, Kaung Htet, Swe, Khine Khine, Aung, Myint, Min, Sapai, Songer, Melissa, and Leimgruber, Peter. 2019. "Two sides of the same coin – Wildmeat consumption and illegal wildlife trade at the crossroads of Asia." Biological Conservation, 238 Article 108197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108197. 2019
• Huang, Qiongyu, Fleming, Christen H., Robb, Benjamin, Lothspeich, Audrey, and Songer, Melissa A. 2018. "How different are species distribution model predictions?--Application of a new measure of dissimilarity and level of significance to giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca." Ecological Informatics, 46 114–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2018.06.004. 2018
• Wang, Fang, Zhao, Qing, McShea, William J., Songer, Melissa A., Huang, Qiongyu, Zhang, Xiaofeng, and Zhou, Lingguo. 2018. "Incorporating biotic interactions reveals potential climate tolerance of giant pandas." Conservation Letters, 11, (6) e12592. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12592. 2018
• Huang, Q., Liu, X., Li, Y., Kraus, J., and Songer, Melissa A. 2018. "Understanding nutrient landscapes for giant pandas in the Qinling Mountains, China: the relationships between bamboo mineral content and giant panda habitat selection during migration." Animal Biodiversity and Conservation, 41, (2) 195–208. https://doi.org/10.32800/abc.2018.41.0195. 2018
• Bhagwat, Tejas, Hess, Andrea, Horning, Ned, Khaing, Thiri, Thein, Zaw Min, Aung, Kyaw Moe, Aung, Kyaw Htet, Phyo, Paing, Tun, Ye Lin, Oo, Aung Htat, Neil, Anthony, Thu, Win Myo, Songer, Melissa A., LaJeunesse Connette, Katherine J., Bernd, Asja, Huang, Qiongyu, Connette, Grant, and Leimgruber, Peter. 2017. "Losing a jewel-Rapid declines in Myanmar's intact forests from 2002-2014." PloS One, 12, (5). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0176364. 2017
• Huang, Qiongyu, Sauer, John R., and Dubayah, Ralph O. 2017. "Multidirectional abundance shifts among North American birds and the relative influence of multifaceted climate factors." Global Change Biology, 23, (9) 3610–3622. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13683. 2017
• Huang, Qiongyu, Sauer, John R., Swatantran, Anu, and Dubayah, Ralph. 2016. "A centroid model of species distribution with applications to the Carolina wren Thryothorus ludovicianus and house finch Haemorhous mexicanus in the United States." Ecography, 39, (1) 54–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.01447. 2016
• Jantz, Samuel M., Barker, Brian, Brooks, Thomas M., Chini, Louise P., Huang, Qiongyu, Moore, Rachel M., Noel, Jacob, and Hurtt, George C. 2015. "Future habitat loss and extinctions driven by land-use change in biodiversity hotspots under four scenarios of climate-change mitigation: Future Habitat Loss and Extinctions." Conservation Biology, 29, (4) 1122–1131. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12549. 2015
• Huang, Qiongyu, Swatantran, Anu, Dubayah, Ralph, and Goetz, Scott J. 2014. "The Influence of Vegetation Height Heterogeneity on Forest and Woodland Bird Species Richness across the United States." PLoS ONE, 9, (8) Articlee 103236. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103236. 2014
• Songer, Melissa A., Delion, Melanie, Biggs, Alex, and Huang, Qiongyu. 2012. "Modeling Impacts of Climate Change on Giant Panda Habitat." International Journal of Ecology, 2012 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/108752. 2012

Chapter

• Songer, Melissa, Atwood, Todd C., Douglas, David C., Huang, Qiongyu, Li, Renqiang, Pilfold, Nicholas W., Xu, Ming, and Durner, George M. 2020. "How Is climate change affecting polar bears and giant pandas?" In Bears of the world: Ecology, conservation, and management. Melletti, Mario and Penteriani, Vincenzo, editors. 303–316. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108692571) 2020

Dataset

• Huang, Qiongyu. 2022. [Dataset] Project repository for comparing north American bird distribution shifts. Distributed by Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. https://doi.org/10.25573/DATA.21266037.V1. 2022
• Feng, Ming, Sexton, Joseph O., Wang, Panshi, Huang, Qiongyu, Biswas, Sumalika, and Leimgruber, Peter. 2021. [Dataset] Myanmar Forest Change Product 1979-2019. Distributed by The Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.25573/DATA.13562531.V1. 2021
• Biswas, Sumalika, Huang, Qiongyu, Aung, Myint, Arnold, Franz, Mon, Myat Su, and Leimgruber, Peter. 2021. [Dataset] Myanmar Forest Type Map 2020. https://doi.org/10.25573/DATA.16613818.V1. 2021
• Wang, Panshi, Sexton, Joseph O., Huang, Qiongyu, Biswas, Sumalika, and Leimgruber, Peter. 2020. [Dataset] Myanmar percent tree cover map of the year 2018. Distributed by The Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.25573/DATA.12772490.V2. 2020
• Biswas, Sumalika, Huang, Qiongyu, and Leimgruber, Peter. 2020. [Dataset] Orthomosaic of drone image in 12 locations in Myanmar. Distributed by The Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.25573/DATA.12780041.V4. 2020