Project:

Evaluating the effect of topography on the biodiversity of beetles on Long Island using DNA barcoding

Students:

Cathlyne Cueto, Elin Kim, Lara Vardar, Sofia Michelakos

School:

Lynbrook High School,

Mentors:

Stoycho Velkovsky

Abstract:

DNA barcoding is a method used to find the biodiversity of organisms. Our independent variable, topography, refers to land features, specifically elevation. Locations toward Long Island's south shore are low in elevation. One study suggests that low elevations can enhance the biodiversity of trees in forests, which is a common habitat for beetles. Of the 350,000 known beetle species, Long Island habituates 197. Beetles thrive in ecosystems that have decaying plant material and leaf litter. The Berlese Funnel method will be used to obtain beetles. This involves the idea that insects will move away from a heat source and into a collection space. We are using the website iNaturalist, which depicts the species of organisms on Long Island in a biological diagram. We will organize data into two tables: one for topography and the other for biodiversity. Biodiversity will be calculated through this formula: Biodiversity index=number of species in the area/total number of organisms in an area.

Poster:

Team samples: