Key Lab of Systems Ecology (KLSE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, was established under Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences in 1986.

The goals of the KLSE are to develop social-economic-natural complex ecosystem (SENCE) ecology, to establish theory and methodology for urban and regional sustainable development, and become the research and training center for SENCE ecology, and consult center for ecological assessment and planning, and policy studies on sustainable development in China.

KLSE focuses on the ecology of social-economic-natural ecosystems. The main research areas include interaction between humans and natures at multiple scales, ecological cybernetics in SENCE; methodology of ecological assessment, planning and management of SENCE; multi-disciplinary study on major environmental and ecological problems in China; and policy study on urban and regional sustainable development.

KLSE consists of six research groups: (1) Urban and industrial ecology, (2) Ecosystem analysis and simulation, (3) Landscape ecology, (4) Ecological assessment and planning, (5) Pollution ecology, (6) China Studies and Environmental Policy Studies. There are twenty-one staffs in KLSE, including 1 academician, 11 research professors, and 7 associate professors.

KLSE has unerstaken a large number of research projects granted by the Chinese Center Government, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and local governments as well as international agencies. Since its establishment, KLSE has 86 books published, and received 21 science and technology advancement award at the national, provincial and ministerial level, including one first class National Science and Technology Progress Award. The main recognized academic contributions of KLSE include sustainable development theory based on SENSE theory and ecological engineering; urban and regional sustainable development model including making the master planning for the first eco-county, first eco-city, and first eco-province in China; impact of acid rain on ecosystems and management strategies, and land and reserves sustainable management theory and methodology.