Review of Weather Radar Aeroecology Monitoring

‍ ‍Every year， billions of aerial creatures， including insects， birds， and bats， embark on extraordinary long-distance migrations spanning the entire globe. This phenomenon has a profound impact on the structure and functionality of aerial ecosystems. In parallel， as global climate change and environmental degradation persist， the well-being of humanity faces increasingly severe threats from the deteriorating aeroecological environment. Thus， it becomes paramount to safeguard the aerial ecosystems that sustain life on our planet. The imperative to monitor the aerial ecosystem effectively has led to the adoption of innovative methods， and one of the most promising tools in this regard is weather radar. Weather radar， originally designed for meteorological purposes， has emerged as a highly effective instrument for monitoring and studying macroscopic aeroecology. Its distinguishing features， including expansive reach， all-weather monitoring capabilities， and the ability to encompass spatial scales from hundreds to thousands of kilometers， have positioned it as a formidable asset for aeroecological research. Over the past decade， the field of aeroecological monitoring employing weather radar has made remarkable strides. These advancements have successfully surmounted the technical limitations that historically hindered conventional monitoring methods. Confined coverage and inadequate temporal resolution， which once plagued researchers， now belong to the past. The influence of weather radar extends across a wide spectrum of global ecological concerns. It plays an increasingly pivotal role in global biodiversity conservation by providing insights into the movement patterns of endangered species and aiding in the formulation of conservation strategies. Moreover， it contributes significantly to agriculture by monitoring migratory insect pests and facilitating timely control measures. In the realm of public health， weather radar aids in the prevention and control of epidemic diseases by monitoring and predicting the movement of disease vectors， such as mosquitoes. Weather radar thus fills a longstanding gap in macro-ecological research， offering a holistic understanding of the interplay between aerial fauna， meteorological processes， and environmental changes. Currently， three major global weather radar networks operate strategically in the United States， Europe， and China. These networks serve as essential infrastructure， providing a robust data foundation for aeroecological research endeavors. International collaboration and data sharing have become pivotal in comprehending the global dynamics of aerial ecosystems. This article serves as a comprehensive exposition， shedding light on the current state of scientific research in the realm of global weather radar aeroecological monitoring. It delves into the scientific principles governing aerial animal migration， as illuminated through the lens of weather radar. The narrative encompasses a thorough review and synthesis of key technologies intrinsic to radar ecological monitoring. These include electromagnetic scattering modeling applied to migratory animals， radar echo extraction methodologies， group parameter retrieval techniques， rigorous radar observation validation experiments， and the macro aerial animal migration prediction models that guide our understanding of these phenomena. Furthermore， the article offers a detailed account of the progress achieved in China's weather radar-based aeroecological monitoring efforts. China's diverse landscapes and ecosystems present a unique opportunity for aeroecological research， contributing significantly to our global comprehension of aerial ecosystems. Finally， the future development direction is forecasted， and it is pointed out that in view of the current major monitoring needs of agricultural migratory pests and bird migration in China， it is necessary to conduct in-depth research and exploration in the aspects of expanded dimension detection， multi-parameter retrieval， multi-source prediction， etc.， in order to further interpret major animal migration events， analyze macro migration laws， and reveal the response of aeroecology to climate change.