Early data on survival rates of 24 ferns at Seward’s Ground Zero versus 12 at the edge of the active die-off zone

Hypothesis:  the hypothetical agent of the die-off  does not persist in an affected area.

We planted 24 fronds at Ground Zero GZ) at Seward Park (where die-off was complete in 2014) and 12 in an active die-off  (AD) zone about 50 meters north.   I watered all 36 ferns throughout the summer drought.  The experiment will run five years and tests the hypothesis that survival at GZ will be significantly better than at AD.  We have possibly interesting results after only eight months.

Warning: this is informal science,  visual more than quantitative; it must be viewed skeptically.   The results are early and very preliminary,  and they may not stand up to either scrutiny or over the full five-year course of the experiment.

See the report.