- Program:
- Urban Barcode Project
- Year:
- 2022-23
- Research Topic:
- Wildlife
- Taxonomic Group Studied:
- Lichen
Project:
The Effect of Vehicle Pollution on the Frequency of Lichen Species
- Students:
- Jackson Wang, Alistair King, Kai Kim-Suzuki
- School:
- Ethical Culture Fieldston School, The Bronx
- Mentors:
- Nim Lee
Abstract:
The purpose of this experiment is to determine whether or not vehicle pollution affects the amount of lichen species present in Van Cortlandt Park. The park contains a large highway and exposes vehicle emissions directly into the park. Airborne compounds present in vehicle emissions presumably harm lichen and limit its growth. Different lichen species have different tolerances towards harmful compounds such as Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrogen nutrients. The distance from the road will be our independent variable because as distance increases, vehicle pollution decreases. Our dependent variable will be the amount of lichen species present. In addition, we will also identify which species are more tolerant to pollution and which species are less tolerant.
