Project:

How Does the Mile-A-Minute Invasive Specice Affect The Biodiversity of An Ecosystem

Students:

Simran Dobani, Jessica Guevara

School:

Forest Hills High School, Queens

Mentors:

Lauren Scanlon

Abstract:

Our main goal throughout this Urban Barcoding Project is to determine how the mile-a-minute plant impacts the biodiversity in the park it is growing in as a result of being an invasive species. We will collect multiple samples from all the parks by breaking down each area into four different quadrants. Within one quadrant we will take samples of species that are growing near the presence of the mile-a-minute plant and in another quadrant we will take samples of species that are not growing near the presence of the invasive species plant to compare the difference. We are testing to see how mile a minute affects the biodiversity of plant life in the park, and if it affects different parks the same way. If the amount of the Mile a Minute plant is greater in one ecosystem then it will have a more significant impact on biodiversity compared to a different ecosystem because it is an invasive species that causes havoc on the new environment and and occupies the space meant for native plant sp

Poster:

Team samples: