Project:

Ant-icipating Diversity: A Study of Island Ant Habitats

Students:

Ian Cheung, Luke Singer, Noah Levine

School:

Ethical Culture Fieldston School, The Bronx

Mentors:

Nim Lee

Abstract:

This experiment investigates the diversity and habitat distribution of ant species on Randall’s Island, New York, with an emphasis on understanding how species abundance can vary across different circumstances that habitats may provide. As ants are one of the most diverse and abundant species on earth, looking at the diversity of species on Randall’s Island may provide interesting results. Conducting on-site observations and sample collection followed by DNA extraction and analysis as well as ant taxonomy will help provide a comprehensive view of the diversity of the ant population on the island. By using both DNA sequencing and taxonomy we will be able to obtain a high certainty of the species we collect. The findings from this study will provide important insights for future urban ecology studies, especially given that there is minimal data on ant diversity on Randall’s Island.

Poster:

Team samples: