Project:

Identifying the relationship between Soil pH and Fungi composition in the New Jersey and New York Area.

Students:

Alexander Vardy, Kuk-Hyun Chi

School:

Tenafly High School, Other

Mentors:

Grace Woleslagle

Abstract:

We hope to find a correlation between the type of fungi and the pH of soil to assess how changing pH in soil can affect the fungal communities throughout each park. We will search areas of Overpeck Park (NJ), Central Park (NY), and Tenafly Nature Center (NJ) for different fungi and test the pH of the soil nearby. By looking at what type of fungi live in each pH of soil, we could learn more about the effects of soil pH change in the environment. We will be specifically looking for Hericium erinaceus, Laetiporus sulphureus, Grifola frondosa, Calvatia gigantea, Lycoperdon pyriforme, and more common types in the park.

Poster:

Team samples: