Project:

Cataloging Ant Biodiversity on Long Island Using DNA Barcoding

Students:

Olivia Deng, Aysha Shah, Hadiya Sameen, Simra Ali

School:

Mount Sinai High School, Suffolk

Mentors:

Allison Elfreth

Abstract:

This project aims to investigate ant species richness in two habitats; Heritage Park, a disturbed environment with frequent human activity, and the Mount Sinai High School personal forest which includes patches of undisturbed natural vegetation. Ants play a critical role in ecosystem health through their contributions to soil aeration, nutrient cycling, pest control, and seed dispersal. By collecting 10 samples from each location, we aim to test the hypothesis that ant species richness is higher in less disturbed natural habitats compared to areas with greater human interference. DNA barcoding, focusing on the COI gene, will be used to analyze ant species diversity. The findings from this research will provide valuable insights into the impact of habitat disturbance on ant biodiversity and broader ecological communities.

Poster:

Team samples: