Project:

Contrasting Ant Diversity in Natural and Suburban Areas

Students:

Jimmy Tobin, Gianna Fitzpatrick

School:

Wantagh High School, Nassau

Mentors:

Casey Clark

Abstract:

Our team wanted to research how the species between natural woodlands and artificial terrains compare. We will collect multiple samples of ants from the Twin Lakes Preserve, a wooded area in Wantagh, NY that surrounds freshwater lakes. The specific location we will collect the ants in is dry and covered in dead timber. In addition, we will collect ants from a private backyard, which is located in a suburban neighborhood. This garden has extensive biodiversity, but not all of the plants are native to New York and it is heavily fertilized and maintained. The ants will be lured in on cups and plates with various dried goods, mainly cookies and crackers. Once collected, we will attempt to figure out what species they belong to through taxonomic identification. They will then be crushed and their DNA sequences will be tested in order to truly determine what species there are in the samples and what their place is in their environment. Our team expects to find a greater amount of species in

Poster:

Team samples:

See all samples for project