| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 57.02 |
| Liaison | Monika Kamboures |
| Submission Date | Aug. 17, 2023 |
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Monika
Kamboures Sustainability Coordinator Office of Planning, Sustainability & Transportation |
Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, 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 Voorhis Ecological Reserve (VER), which is in the San Jose Hills, is part of the largest undeveloped tract of land in the San Jose Hills. The San Jose Hills are one of Los Angeles County’s Significant Ecological Areas and have over 500 species of plants, with 3% of the species considered rare or endangered by the California Native Plant Society. The VER itself has approximately 200 species of naturally occurring plants, with over one-third being native. There are also four species of amphibians, 12 species of reptiles, over 100 bird species, and 38 mammal species (see: https://www.cpp.edu/sci/biological-sciences/voorhis-ecological-reserve.shtml) that occur in or have been observed at some time in the VER. Finally, the Voorhis has representative species from approximately 200 families of insects.
The VER, Horse Hill, and the open spaces adjacent to the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies are all in the San Jose Hills, which are a Significant Ecological Area of Los Angeles County. These spaces on campus contain walnut woodlands and coastal sage scrub, which are considered threatened communities by the State of California. As components of a Mediterranean Ecosystem, the entire region is considered a Biodiversity Hotspot.
Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution?:
A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:
PLANTS
Threatened species
Weed’s mariposa lily—Calochortus weedii var. intermedius
Many stemmed dudleya—Dudleya multicaulis
Species with limited distribution
Catalina mariposa lily—Calochortus catalinae
ANIMALS
VERTEBRATES
Amphibians
Least concern
Baja California Tree Frog—Pseudacris hypochondriaca
Birds
Threatened—Endangered Species Act
California gnatcatcher—Polioptila californica californica
Mammals
California Species of Special Concern (California Fish & Wildlife Department)
Pallid Bat—Antrozous pallidus
Townsend’s Big-eared Bat—Corynorhinus townsendii
Western Mastiff Bat—Eumops perotis
Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:
A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:
The Voorhis Ecological Reserve contains coastal sage scrub, which is a threatened community and the home of the threatened California gnatcatcher and two threatened plant species. The Voorhis also contains a riparian habitat with a spring-fed stream and remnants of oak woodlands, which supports a diverse fauna, including three bat species of Special Concern. Horse Hill, the grazing lands run by the College of Agriculture, and the open space at and adjacent to the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies contain Southern California walnut woodlands, which is a threatened community.
The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:
Rare and vulnerable species and areas of biodiversity importance have been identified using a variety of methods. A flora has been conducted of the San Jose Hills by A. Eileen Berbeo, which included identification of all vascular plant species, both through new collections and use of herbarium collections in California. Rare and threatened species were identified during the creation of the flora. Eileen Berbeo’s thesis was preceded by Dr. J. Curtis Clark’s inventory of the plants of the Voorhis Ecological Reserve, which was based on the collections in the California State Polytechnic University Herbarium (CSPU, Index Herbariorum) and student collections in the course, California Flora. Dr. David Moriarty compiled a list of all of the birds that utilized the Voorhis Ecological Reserve based on student research and his own observations for three decades. The diversity of amphibians, mammals, and reptiles on campus were described by Dr. Glenn Stewart and his students in his four plus decades as a professor at Cal Poly Pomona. Dr. Joan Leong and her students have assessed the diversity of arthropods and other invertebrates on campus through theses and her Entomology course.
A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):
The Biological Sciences Department continues to assess the biodiversity of the natural lands on campus through undergraduate courses (Avian Biology, California Flora, Entomology, Herpetology, and Mammalogy), master’s theses, and other research. Restoration projects have also been conducted by Dr. Erin Questad and her students to determine the best methods for the reestablishment of native plants in disturbed areas of the Voorhis Ecological Reserve and at the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies.
A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:
Undergraduate and graduate student research will continue in all of the wildlands on the campus of Cal Poly Pomona. By continuing to make collections and observations, we will be able to determine how the diversity is changing due to climate change and further suburbanization of the surrounding areas. The campus will also continue to push for the preservation of the open space on the campus in all of the future master plans, including the Voorhis Ecological Reserve and all of the walnut woodlands. Finally, Dr. Erin Questad has established an eddy flux tower in the Voorhis Ecological Reserve to monitor the fluxes of carbon dioxide and water vapor of the coastal sage scrub community in an effort to see how changes in the species composition over time are affecting the primary productivity of the community.
Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :
Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Dr. Edward Bobich and Voorhis Ecological Reserve Committee provided all of the valuable information included on this credit.
Dr. Edward Bobich and Voorhis Ecological Reserve Committee provided all of the valuable information included on this credit.
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.