| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.67 |
| Liaison | Julie Newman |
| Submission Date | Sept. 30, 2021 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
MIT
Office of Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
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 main campus is adjacent to (but does not intersect) the Charles River. The River has been designated a "Core Habitat and Critical Natural Landscape" by the Massachusetts National Heritage & Endangered Species Program and the Nature Conservancy's Massachusetts Program (NHESP/TNC BioMap 2, 2010). While the bounds of this STARS reporting is limited to the MIT main campus in Cambridge, MIT will aim to expand the boundary to include additional MIT landholdings in future STARS submissions.
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:
None of the designated conservation or habitat areas listed above intersected with the main MIT campus. The MIT academic campus in Cambridge is constructed on 19th century urban filled soil and pilings in a location that was formerly freshwater tidal wetlands. The former tidal wetlands have been non-existent since the late 19th century. Therefore, this urban campus landscape currently has no environmentally sensitive areas. It is highly unlikely that any endangered or vulnerable species would be found on campus, however, there is a possibility that migrating bird species of endangered or vulnerable status might be found. Further study of migratory bird populations would be needed to determine whether the campus is sustaining habitat for endangered or vulnerable birds.
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:
None of the designated conservation or habitat areas listed above intersected with the main MIT campus. Therefore, there are no environmentally sensitive areas, and it is highly unlikely that any endangered or vulnerable species would be found on campus. While the bounds of this STARS reporting is limited to the MIT main campus in Cambridge, MIT will aim to expand the boundary to include additional MIT landholdings in future STARS submissions.
The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:
Using publicly available spatial data from MassGIS, the boundaries of MIT's campus were compared with the boundaries of the following designated conservation areas: - Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) designated by the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (April 2009)
- Core Habitat and Critical Natural Landscape designated by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program and the Nature Conservancy’s Massachusetts Program (BioMap2) (February 2011)
- Estimated Habitats of Rare Wildlife (October 2008), Priority Habitats of Rare Species (October 2008), Certified Vernal Pools (January 2013), Potential Vernal Pools (December 2000), and Natural Communities (November 2011) documented in the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) database
- Protected open space identified by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (June 2014)
A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):
The scope of the assessment was limited to the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA. The questions in this STARS v2.2 OP-10 credit will help prompt MIT to more pro-actively understand and report biodiversity assessments in future STARS reports for lands owned by MIT beyond the main academic campus. Further description of the scope of the assessment can be found in the methodology discussion.
A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:
Because there are no environmentally sensitive areas, and it is highly unlikely that any endangered or vulnerable species would be found on campus, no plans or programs are necessary. While the bounds of this STARS reporting is limited to the MIT main campus in Cambridge, MIT will aim to expand the boundary to include additional MIT landholdings in future STARS submissions.
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:
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.