- Program:
- Barcode Long Island
- Year:
- 2024-25
- Research Topic:
- Wildlife
- Taxonomic Group Studied:
- Lichen
Project:
The Impact of Different Proximities to Gasoline Emissions on the Biodiversity of Lichen Samples in Four Areas
- Students:
- Clara Pedersen, Kevin Loscalzo, Kai Hidaka
- School:
- Shoreham-Wading River High School, Suffolk
- Mentors:
- Dana Schaefer
Abstract:
Lichens are natural indicators of air pollution, due to the fact that they get all of their nutrients from the atmosphere. Samples will be collected from a location at Indian Island Peconic Estuary, a house on Wading River Manor Road, between 25A and Route 25, and two locations at Shoreham Wading River High School , to compare the impact of air quality on lichen biodiversity. Lichen will be removed from different surfaces with tweezers. Samples will be identified using field guides, then genetically confirmed using the Barcode LI DNA barcoding procedure. The expected results of this experiment is for the lichen biodiversity to increase as proximity to gasoline emissions decreases.
