Embrace diversity: determining the effects of human activity on biodiversity in two bodies of water in Oklahoma City

Abstract

What factors affect the biodiversity in different bodies of water in Oklahoma City? We performed an experiment to determine whether human activity in a body of water would decrease the diversity of the organisms living there. We hypothesized that the body of water in Dolese Park will have a greater biodiversity than Lake Hefner because we think that the amount of human activity in Lake Hefner decreases the biodiversity of the water source. We collected water from both Lake Hefner and the outlet in Dolese Park in Oklahoma City and used a microscope to determine the amount and different types of organisms in each body of water. Using the Shannon Diversity Index, we determined that the water in Dolese Park has an overall greater biodiversity than the water in Lake Hefner