Overall Rating	Silver - expired
Overall Score	58.68
Liaison	Margaret Lo
Submission Date	July 21, 2021

STARS v2.2

Ball State University
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	2.00 / 2.00 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	Michael Planton Associate Director for Landscape and Environmental Management Facilities Planning and Management

"---" 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?:

Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

Ball State University owns or manages six properties for environmental education, ecosystem research natural areas protection and restoration, and sustainable agriculture. Of those areas, the 161 acre Ginn Woods is considered the second largest old-growth forest in Indiana, and is managed as a nature preserve. Of the remaining areas, active effort is made to increase native biodiversity, restore impacted lands, implement best management practices, and convert conventional agriculture to more sustainable methods. Each aspect of management feeds into research and student immersive learning.

The Ball State board of Trustees recently approved a request to submit Ginn Woods to the Indiana DNR for consideration aa a nature preserve.
https://www.bsu.edu/news/press-center/archives/2021/03/ball-state-university-dedicates-ginn-woods-as-nature-preserve#:~:text=Ball%20State%20University's%20Board%20of,for%20approval%20on%20May%2018.

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:

No endangered or vulnerable species were found on university property during the time the inventories were conducted.

Areas of biodiversity importance

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:

Eastern deciduous forest of varying degree of integrity occurs on all six properties, and ranges from intact or virgin forest to highly degraded. As listed above, complete, published floras exist for four of the properties. Data on migratory songbirds, herptiles, and other organisms is less complete but does exist. Habitats of interest are mapped related to species occurrence, including the buttonbush swamp at Ginn Woods.

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:

Four of the six properties have had complete floral inventories published, dating back to 1950 for Christy Woods, 2004 for Ginn Woods, and 2017 for Cooper Woods and Skinner Field Area. Permanent forest monitoring plots have been established in each of these areas to document changes over time, going back to 2002 for Cooper Woods and 2003 for Christy Woods. All the canopy trees have been mapped with associated GPS coordinates and assessment of tree health at time of sampling. Resampling occurs at Cooper Woods on a biennial cycle. Systematic surveys of fauna, including bird mist-netting and herptile counts have been ongoing for years on four properties. While there are no documented cases of state or federally listed species, the floral and faunal assemblages in these woods approximate the diverse natural heritage of Indiana before the axe and plow of European settlement. Ginn Woods, for example, was listed as a classified forest in 1929 and has documented 452 taxa of vascular plants representing 267 genera in 99 families. A total of 164 species were reported for the first time from Delaware County.

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

The four properties mentioned above were inventoried for plants only. This process included walking the sites to identify, measure and record the species present.

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

Active management to control invasive species, reintroduce native plant species, and return fire where appropriate have all contributed to maintenance and increased biodiversity of Ball State Field Station’s natural areas. In 2016 and 2017, supplemental pollinator habitat was established in the 40 acre constructed prairie at Cooper Farm. Invasive species management has been standard procedure in woodlands and prairie areas since 2000.

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:

http://cms.bsu.edu/About/AdministrativeOffices/Facilities.aspx

Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

A systematic study of the herbaceous plants and shrubs in Christy Woods. Rector, Marion Agnes, 1907- Advisor: Miller, Donald E. Date: 1950. Other Identifiers: LD2489.Z72 1950 .R42. CardCat URL: http://liblink.bsu.edu/catkey/416021 Degree: Thesis (M.A.)

Ruch, Donald G., et al. "The lignicolous fungi of Ginn Woods, Delaware County, Indiana." Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science, 2001, p. 79+. http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A83518035/SCIC?u=munc80314&sid=SCIC&xid=67059fb3.

Ruch, Donald G., et al. "THE FLORA AND VEGETATION OF GINN WOODS, BALL STATE UNIVERSITY, DELAWARE COUNTY, INDIANA." Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science, 1999, p. 17. http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A75916787/SCIC?u=munc80314&sid=SCIC&xid=20b04767.

Badger, Kemuel S., et al. "STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF GINN WOODS, AN OLD-GROWTH FOREST IN EAST-CENTRAL INDIANA." Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science, 1999, p. 1. http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A75916786/SCIC?u=munc80314&sid=SCIC&xid=bbb6793c.

Orientation of salamanders during breeding migration. Hinty, Hamad M. Date: 1978. Other Identifiers: LD2489.Z9 1978 .H56. CardCat URL: http://liblink.bsu.edu/catkey/278241. Degree: Thesis (M.A.)

Ruch, Donald G. "Recent macromycetes records from three east-central Indiana counties." Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science, vol. 113, no. 2, 2004, p. 99+. http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A168283310/SCIC?u=munc80314&sid=SCIC&xid=36704062.

How will EAB change our forests? : predicting forest canopy gaps using GIS. Schuck, Stephanie L. Advisor: Gruver, Joshua B. Date: 2013-05-04. CardCat URL: http://liblink.bsu.edu/catkey/1712475. Degree: Thesis (M.S.). Department: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management.

Spring wildflowers of Christy Woods. Stultz, Kristy L. Advisor: Badger, Kemuel S. Date: 2005. Other Identifiers: LD2489.Z8 2005 .S78. CardCat URL: http://liblink.bsu.edu/catkey/1332250. Degree: Thesis (M.A.). Department: Department of Biology.

A dendroclimatological analysis of white oak (Quercus alba L.) growth rings from Christy Woods, Muncie, Indiana, with local climatic data. Stahl, James Richard. Thesis (M.S.)--Ball State University, 1982. Crankshaw, William B., advisor. URL: http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/handle/182601

https://ballstate.box.com/s/yn27tsyare8c1qigg01cfhbnu1rcoafh Link to power point presentation comprised of pictures showing the many ways Ball State works to conserve biodiversity.