Muniyat Choudhury, Theo Frye Yanos, Minh Nguyen, and Jaimie Zhao
In our project, we examined the 13 plant species observed in the park for the 2021 Bioblitz Challenge, focusing on the plants’ geographic origins – mostly from the Americas but some were introduced from Asia – and their ecological niches with respect to bees, butterflies, and birds. We also looked at data on the benefits Central Park provides in cooling the urban heat island of Manhattan and improving air quality. The data collected shows the importance of Central Park for the biodiversity and environmental health of NYC.
