Overall Rating	Gold
Overall Score	67.27
Liaison	Veronica Johnson
Submission Date	Jan. 14, 2022

STARS v2.2

Southwestern University
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	0.50 / 1.00 This credit is weighted more heavily for institutions that own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to any of the following: Legally protected areas (e.g., IUCN Category I-VI) Internationally recognized areas (e.g., World Heritage, Ramsar, Natura 2000) Priority sites for biodiversity (e.g., Key Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites) Regions of conservation importance (e.g., Endemic Bird Areas, Biodiversity Hotspots, High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas) 2 points are available for this credit if the institution owns or manages land that includes or is adjacent to any of the above. 1 point is available for this credit for all other institutions. Close	Joshua Long Assistant Professor Environmental Studies

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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:

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Endangered and vulnerable species

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?:

Yes

A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:

List of species with habitats on SU owned land include:
- white-tailed deer (least concern)
- gray fox (least concern)
- Rio Grande wild turkey (least concern)
- coyote (least concern)
- armadillo (least concern)
- bobcat (least concern)
- raccoon (least concern)
- North American river otter (least concern)

Areas of biodiversity importance

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:

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Methodologies

If yes to either of the above, provide the following:

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

Methodologies used to identify vulnerable species largely occur within the SU Ecolab course. New plans and individual research projects for the EcoLab must be approved and registered through the SU Land Use Committee, a forum consisting of multiple SU staff and faculty to address the upkeep, management, and funding of Ecolab.

A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):

There have been numerous activities to monitor wildlife, water quality, and invasive species. These were almost always associated with the SU Ecolab course: "ENV49-004-01 (27381): Ecolab". Examples of monitoring include the installation of multiple wildlife game cameras and in-person recording of animal prints.

A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:

The SU Ecological Laboratory Land Management Protocols and Practices document was created to help develop guidelines for research, recreation, and conservation. The document dictates what actions are prohibited or permitted and contains all administrative forms required for access and/or changes to the Ecolab.

Optional Fields

Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :

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Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:

https://www.southwestern.edu/environmental-studies/ecolab/

Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Southwestern University owns 25 acres of undeveloped land east of campus called Ecolab which was established in 2014. The goal of the land is to encourage the study of local ecosystems through the preservation and maintenance of an outdoor research laboratory that enriches the academic experience of the Southwestern campus community. The SU Ecolab offers a fieldwork site for a variety of academic departments through curricular and research needs. In 2014, it was decided then to designate the 25-acre portion of land as an “ecological laboratory”. This allowed for the university to acquire a tax exemption available under Texas Tax Code § 23.51, which allows for ecological research by a public or private university.