Project:

Identifying Phragmites australis in Urban Areas using PCR-RFLP & DNA Barcoding

Students:

Aadi Bhattacharya, Deepta Gupta

School:

Rye Country Day School, Other

Mentors:

Jennifer Busuttil-Doran

Abstract:

New York City and its surrounding suburbs are prone to the introduction of invasive species of plants and animals because the city is a major international travel and transportation hub. These species can threaten the city’s biodiversity, resulting in environmental and economic harm. An invasive plant present in an area surrounding New York City is Phragmites australis, also known as Common Reed. Common Reed grows rapidly in wetlands and ponds, and can quickly outcompete natural plants for space and resources. This can harm both humans in the area as well as other native species. There are several areas near where we live in Westchester, NY that harbor both invasive and native phragmites. One of these areas that is suitable for taking samples is Rye Town Park, which is located three (3) miles from our school. Most of the phragmites in the park is located around the perimeter of an oval-shaped 56000 sq. ft pond. The purpose of our study, is to collect random phragmites samples and use

Poster:

Team samples: