Project:

An Investigation of Lichen Biodiversity in a Rural vs. Urbanized Environment

Students:

Ariel Datikash, Jocelyn Sun, Anika Das, Riya Mirani

School:

The Spence School, Manhattan

Mentors:

Aruna Chavali

Abstract:

We aim to investigate how lichen biodiversity varies between urban and rural environments by comparing samples collected from Central Park and Black Rock Forest. We will do this by comparing the DNA barcodes of the samples we collected to see the similarities and differences in the types of lichen found in either location. We hypothesize that the urban environment of Central Park will have lower lichen biodiversity than the rural environment of Black Rock Forest. This hypothesis is based on existing research indicating that urban areas, with higher pollution levels and limited green space, generally support fewer lichen species compared to rural areas with lower levels of environmental disturbance (Fertig, n.d.). Lichens serve as key bioindicators of air quality and environmental health, as they are sensitive to pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and ozone. For instance, when exposed to high pollution levels, lichen may exhibit changes in color and growth or even die,

Poster:

Team samples: