| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.95 |
| Liaison | Kathleen McCaig |
| Submission Date | June 14, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Berea College
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Clint
Patterson College Forester Forestry |
Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance?:
A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:
The College owns nearly 9,000 acres of sustainably managed forest land that is of regional conversation importance.
Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify environmentally sensitive areas on institution-owned or –managed land?:
The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or environmentally sensitive areas (including most recent year assessed) and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:
University of Kentucky conducts research on the Forest. Part of our forest (Anglin Falls) is a state designated nature preserve, and Ralph Thompson, botanist for the College, has done extensive plant species identification efforts to try to spot and inventory all of the species within the forest. Efforts have not turned up any T&E plant or animal species on our property, so no monitoring is done.
A brief description of identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
he Berea College Forest falls on the northern edge of the Cumberland Plateau, within an area dominated by the Oak-Hickory type and the Oak-Pine type. Habitats consist of mid-successional small to large sawtimber hardwoods in relatively large acreages. These unfragmented forests are important to forest interior specialists, primarily neotropical migratory birds. Riparian zones exist along the small streams. Since most of the forest is mature, only small areas of early succession habitat are present. About 600 acres of mature forest which provide cavity trees and down woody debris in higher amounts. Environmentally sensitive areas include the rock outcrops and sinkholes...which are protected from harvests.
A brief description of plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
Berea College currently owns approximately 9,000 acres of forest. Of that land, approximately 7,000 acres are used for sustainable harvesting in small areas, supplying an abundance of wildlife opportunities for animals that benefit from disturbed forest, such as deer, turkey, and raccoons. Approximately 2,000 acres of the remaining area is untouched forest, benefiting other wildlife such as some birds, bats, and amphibians.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.