Project:

Assessing the Effects of Urbanization on Ant Taxonomic Diversity through DNA Barcoding Techniques

Students:

Garrick Lo, Juliana Nuss, Zarar Ikram Ahmed, Ananya Sood

School:

Walt Whitman High School, Suffolk

Mentors:

Emma Courtney

Abstract:

DNA Barcoding is a useful technique to analyze and characterize the diversity of species, which can help to evaluate how certain variables (e.g., location, climate, human impacts) shape such diversity. This project aims to examine the effects of urbanization on ant biodiversity on Long Island, by collecting ants from various locations representing rural, suburban, and urban communities. We hypothesize that the greater the urbanization the less biodiversity there will be among ant species. This will be analyzed utilizing a correlational analysis in order to determine if urbanization has an effect on insect biodiversity. There is currently a problem because of the huge lack in barcoding data which has negatively impacted society and extinction prevention efforts. A lack of barcoding data results in misleading and skewed biodiversity data, thus preventing proper actions by governments and organizations to prevent the extinction of valuable organisms. This project will also allow more biod