| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56.16 |
| Liaison | Matthew Liesch |
| Submission Date | May 13, 2024 |
Central Michigan University
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
John
Gordon Manager Beaver Island |
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 Great Lakes Basin Coastal Wetland Habitats are internationally recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as areas of conservation importance. Further, many locations along the coastal regions of the Great Lakes Basin, are identified by the EPA as legally protected areas, as well as priority sites for biodiversity.
Endangered and vulnerable species
A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:
Species which are endangered and vulnerable are identified throughout the attached report based on species type. Notable endangered species at the CMU Biological Station on Beaver Island include the Lake Huron Tansy, the Michigan Monkey Flower, and Pitchers Thistle.
Areas of biodiversity importance
A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:
This study resulted in the identification of the following, along land owned and operated by Central Michigan University Beaver Island Biological station, as well as areas all over the Great Lakes Basin: Comparative study of Bulrush growth between Great Lakes coastal wetlands and Pacific Northwest estuaries. This study includes investigation of water level effects on bulrush growth rates in Great Lakes coastal wetlands. With leveraged funding from NSF for the primary project on bulrush ability to withstand wave energy. Please reference table 14 within the attached report for a list of avian species identified within this monitoring program to be wetland-obligate and/or habitat health indicators.
Methodologies
If yes to either of the above, provide the following:
The Great Lakes Institute for Research, through Central Michigan University engages in the Great Lakes Coastal Monitoring Program. "This program involves monitoring of Great Lakes coastal wetland biota, habitat, and water quality to provide information on coastal wetland condition using fish, birds, calling amphibians, wetland vegetation, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and water quality." http://greatlakeswetlands.org/Home.vbhtml All further information presented are excerpts from : GLIC: Implementing Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Semiannual Progress Report October 1, 2015 – March 31, 2016 Prepared for: U.S. EPA GLNPO (G‐17J) 77 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604‐3590 Contract/WA/Grant No./Project Identifier: GL‐00E00612‐0 Prepared by: Dr. Donald G. Uzarski, Principal Investigator CMU Institute for Great Lakes Research CMU Biological Station Department of Biology Central Michigan University Brooks 127 Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 Dr. Valerie J. Brady, QA Manager Natural Resources Research Institute University of Minnesota Duluth 5013 Miller Trunk Highway Duluth, MN 55811‐1442 Dr. Matthew J. Cooper, QA Manager Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation Northland College 1411 Ellis Avenue Ashland, WI 54891 Please reference attached report for specific methodology of the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program.
A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):
The scope of this experiment included land owned and operated by Central Michigan University Beaver Island Biological station, as well as areas all over the Great Lakes Basin.
A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:
Important results: A high quality Lakeplain Lake Prairie complex, a rare plant community throughout the Great Lakes region, was found during our plant survey of St. Johns marsh in an area that had been proposed for a dike enhancement project by the Michigan DNR (Figure 29). The site contains abundant milkweed plants, which appear to include both common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and rare Sullivant’s milkweed (A. sullivantii, awaiting confirmation), both of which were being used by monarch butterflies. The survey has resulted in ongoing discussions concerning the proposed boundaries of the project. CMU Fabiano Botanical Garden certified as Monarch Waystation and Pollinator Habitat These certifications and their posted signage help educate the campus community of the importance of habitat preservation. As certified by Monarch Watch: “This site provides milkweeds, nectar sources, and shelter needed to sustain monarch butterflies as they migrate through North America.” As certified by The Xerces Society for Invertibrate Conservation: “This area has been planted with pollinator-friendly flowers and is protected from pesticides to provide valuable habitat for bees and other pollinators.”
Optional Fields
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:
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.