主要研究方向为草地恢复与管理、草地土壤微生物生态学。截止2022年，主持国家自然科学基金、中国博士后基金、宁夏重点研发项目、宁夏自然科学基金优青项目等项目10项。在国内外期刊发表学术论文50余篇，主编及副主编专著各1部；获自治区科技进步三等奖1项，获国家发明专利1项，实用新型专利3项；入选第二批宁夏青年科技人才托举工程人选。曾赴美国康奈尔大学农业与生命科学学院访学，赴以色列马沙夫参加“干旱区造林与植被恢复国际培训班”学习。

目前的主要研究兴趣包括：（1）退化草地修复/恢复研究（补播、覆盖、施肥等）；（2）土壤微生物群落结构与功能对环境（水分变化、氮磷富集、升温、植被变异及土地利用方式等）的响应及机制研究。

2. 代表性论文（*通讯作者）与专著（截止2023年）

Liu, J., Wang, J.,Stephen, J.M., Rebecca, L.S.,Li, Z.*, Wu, G-L.*, Contributions of plant litter to soil microbial community diversity improvement and soil nutrient enhancementalong with herb and shrub colonization expansions in an arid sandy land. (Under reviewer).

Li, Z., Wu, G-L., Wang, B., Rebecca, L.S., Stephen, J.M.,The potential of reseeded native grass, legume, and their mixture to improve multiple ecosystem functions of desert steppe in Ningxia, northern China. (In submission)

Wang, B., Liu, J.,Li, Z.*, Stephen, J.M., Rebecca, L.S., Xu, D., Lin, X., 2023. The contributions of root morphological characteristics and soil property to soil infiltration in a reseeded desert steppe. Catena 225, 107020.

Liu, J., Schneider, R.L., Morreale, S.J., Wang, H., Wang, R., Wang, F.,Li, Z.*, 2023. The roles for branch shelters and sheep manure to accelerate the restoration of degraded grasslands in northern China.Frontiers in Environmental Science 10, 1089645.

Lin, X., Wang, B., Wu, X., Liu, J., Zhang, Z., Xiang, L.,Li, Z.*, 2022. Two years of nitrogenaddition altered soil microbial community structure and function in a desert steppe of northern China.Soil Research. doi:10.1071/SR22139

Fu, B.,Li, Z.*, Gao, X., Wu, L., Lan, J., & Peng, W. 2021. Effects of subsurface drip irrigation on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) growth and soil microbial community structures in arid and semi-arid areas of northern China.Applied Soil Ecology, 159, 103859.

Schneider, R.L., Morreale, S.J.,Li, Z., et al. Restoring soil health to reduce irrigation demand and buffer the impacts of drought, 2020.Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering,7 (3), 339-346.

Li, Z., Xie, Y., Schneider, R.L., Morreale, S.J., Li, J., Li, C., & Ni X. 2020. Importance of Adding Woodchips to Local Amendments for Improving Soil Health and Increasing Yield in Severely Degraded Soils of Northern China.Soil Research, 58(5), 478-487.

Li, Z., Qiu, K., Schneider, R.L., Morreale, S.J., & Xie, Y. 2019. Comparison of microbial community structures in soils with woody organic amendments and soils with traditional local organic amendments in Ningxia of Northern China. PeerJ, 7: e6854.

Li, Z., Schneider, R.L., Morreale, S.J., Xie, Y., Li, J., Li, C., & Ni X. 2019. Using woody organic matter amendments to increase water availability and jump-start soil restoration of desertified grassland soils of Ningxia, China.Land Degradation & Development, 30, 1313-1324.

Li, Z., Jia, G., & Ni, X. 2019. The complete chloroplast genome sequence ofAchnatherum splendens(pooideae), a high-quality forage grass in northern China. Mitochondrial DNA Part B: resources, 4:1, 1841-1843.

Ni, X., Li, B., Jia, G., Song, N., &Li, Z*. 2019. Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome ofAmmopiptanthus mongolicus (Papilionoideae), a rare and endangered plant to China.Mitochondrial DNA Part B: resources, 4, 1886-1887.

Li, Z., Schneider, R.L., Morreale, S.J., Xie, Y., Li, C., & Li, J. 2018. Woody organic amendments for retaining soil water, improving soil properties and enhancing plant growth in desertified soils of Ningxia, China.Geoderma, 310, 143–152.

李志刚，倪细炉，郭军成. 2018.林木枝条改良宁夏沙化土壤研究，银川：黄河出版集团阳光出版社.

3. 专利

李志刚，李健，秦军.一种育苗液体肥料及其制备方法（ZL201210277892.0）.发明专利

李志刚，徐艳茹，郭宏仙等.一种汽油动力式土壤采样器（CN202121099951.0）

安渊，李志刚，邱晓，卢娜，闰雯.林下牧鸡草地建植方法（CN101258811）.实用新型专利