Project:

Comparative Analysis of Ant Species Diversity in Raised Roof Beds: A Year to Year Study

Students:

Olivia Shum, Athena Villacorta, Nehcopee Fatormah

School:

Marymount School of New York, Manhattan

Mentors:

Robert Getz

Abstract:

Studying the species of ants found on a rooftop garden that is approximately 150 feet above the sidewalk from one year to the next can help us understand how the ants population was affected by residing in an isolated in a man-made location high above the sidewalks of NYC. This study hopes to better understand the biodiversity on the Marymount rooftop garden. We hope to reinforce our hypothesis and hope to reveal how the ants on the roof could have changed to species that are able to adapt better to slightly different environments and conditions. However in NYC homes, Tapinoma sessile are the most common species while on the rooftop garden, the Nylanderia flavipe was the most abundant species. We also hope to learn how the species vary when introduced to the rooftop environment, we can observe if the abundance of the two species have changed. We can monitor the species and further improve our knowledge on man made microhabitats.

Poster:

Team samples: