Jiayi Liu joined the CEE Lab at Nanjing University in March 2026 for a five-month research internship. Her work focuses on the insect biodiversity and ecological functions on XinJiZhou Island (新济洲), a site where all residents have been relocated as part of a natural conservation program. As human presence recedes and nature gradually takes over for 20 years, her research will investigate how ongoing and past human activities influence insect biodiversity during ecological succession. The project will further contribute empirical data to the study of biodiversity-ecological functioning relationships. In parallel, Jiayi is actively collaborating with the lab’s ongoing research, gaining training in fieldwork techniques, data analysis, and science communication.