Fieldwork
During my time in Dr. Sheng-Feng Shen's lab, I led international field research on burying beetles' breeding phenology across East Asia, focusing on populations in Okinawa, Amami (Japan), and Wulai (Taiwan). Through breeding experiments along elevational gradients, we explored how these geographically neighboring island populations develop distinct breeding patterns and assessed their vulnerability to climate change.
Amami Ōshima, Japan
Apr 22, 2024 – Jun 27, 2024
Two-month fieldwork studying burying beetles' spring breeding phenology at Amami Guntō National Park (奄美群島国立公園), Amami Ōshima. Research plots included northern Kasari Area (28.4710°N, 129.6872°E), central Tatsugō Town (28.4416°N, 129.5841°E), and our primary site, Mt. Yuwan, covering forests in Yamato and Uken Villages.
Okinawa, Japan
Oct 19, 2022 – Jan 16, 2023
Three-month field season studying burying beetles' winter breeding phenology in Yambaru National Park (やんばる国立公園), Okinawa. Research plots from north to south included Mt. Nishime and Mt. Yonaha in Kunigami Village, Mt. Tano in Nago City, Mt. Yae in Motobu Town, and forests near the Okinawa Prefectural People's Forest in Onna Village (26.5001°N, 127.9043°E). Larval morphological measurements were conducted at collaborator Professor Kazuki Tsuji’s (辻 瑞樹) lab at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus.
Mt. Hehuan, Taiwan
Jan-Apr, 2022
Six-month field experiment with twice-monthly visits to Mt. Hehuan (3422 m), central Taiwan, manipulating group size of burying beetles to observe their social behaviors. I also mentored incoming master's students in fieldwork protocols.
Sichuan, China
Jul, 2019
Three-week field course at Mt. Jiajin (4930 m), Sichuan, on behavioral ecology and climate change biology, organized by Dr. Sheng-Feng Shen and Dr. Dustin R. Rubenstein. I led a class project on the impact of deforestation on interspecies competition in burying beetles.
