Project:

How do varying moisture levels of soil affect the biodiversity of fungi in Black Rock Forest and Central Park?

Students:

Radha Nagrani, Lila Hilgenberg, Naomi Eisen

School:

The Spence School, Manhattan

Mentors:

Aruna Chavali

Abstract:

The goal of this project is to explore the effect of soil moisture on fungi, mainly mushrooms’, biodiversity and growth. We hypothesize that in less urbanized areas, such as Black Rock Forest, the soil will be more moist which will therefore lead to a biodiverse collection of mushrooms. The natural lake of Black Rock Forest may also contribute to the moisture of the soil and corresponding diverse mushroom population. Because we are exploring the impact of soil moisture and biodiversity of mushrooms, there were no specific fungi species that we prioritized to complete this experiment. We predict, in Central Park, that the mushroom population would be sparse. We believe the reservoir being encased with stone and general lack of natural water sources contribute to the scarcity of mushroom biodiversity, making moisture difficult to access for the surrounding organisms. Additionally, the North East of America is experiencing a drought which has exacerbated the short water supply. Mushroom

Poster:

Team samples: