Project:

Ant biodiversity in Westchester county, NY

Students:

Sophiana Simone, Justine Dolan, Grace Irving

School:

The Ursuline School, Other

Mentors:

Oxana Litvine

Abstract:

Ants stand to be a common terrestrial insect group, with the species invading almost the entire world excluding Antarctica. They play a pivotal role as essential parts of the ecosystem; influencing soil health, seed dispersal, and even acting as indicators of environmental change. DNA barcoding has recently been used to test the earth's biodiversity, which is what we will be utilizing to identify ant biodiversity in Westchester County. By using multiple techniques of species identification including iNaturalist, field guide identification, and DNA barcoding, we aim to better understand ant biodiversity in Westchester County.

Poster:

Team samples: