Prescott College
IL-24: Biodiversity Assessment

The biodiversity assessment is a comprehensive inventory of every plant species on campus grounds. It is maintained by students, staff, and faculty from the Butte Creek Restoration Council, Tree Campus Committee, and Green Mountain Center for Sustainability. It is updated approximately every two to three years. Levels of extinction risk are assessed using the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) nine risk categories.

Prescott Main Campus:
White Fir (LC)
Bigtooth Maple (LC)
Boxelder Maple (LC)
Arctostaphylos pungens (LC)
Four-wing Saltbush (LC)
Desert-Willow (LC)
Alderleaf Mountain-mahogany (LC)
Arizona Cypress (NT)
Ponderosa Pine (LC)
Arizona Sycamore (VU)
Quaking Aspen (LC)
Robinia neomexicana (LC)
Salix exigua (VU)
Common Juniper (LC)
Alligator Juniper (LC)
Rocky Mountain Juniper (LC)
Sand Cholla (LC)
Emory Oak (EN)
Gambel Oak (LC)
Gray Oak (LC)
Erect Pricklypear (LC)
Purple Prickly Pear (LC)
Parry's Agave (LC)
Siberian Elm (LC) [invasive]



Kino Bay Center:
Elegent Tern (NT)
Least Tern (NT)
Yellow-footed Gull (LC)
Heermans Gull (NT)
Peregrine Falcon (LC)
Cooper’s Hawk (L)
Reddish Egret (NT)
Brant’s Goose (LC)
American Oystercatcher (LC)
Least Bittern (LC)
Clapper Rail (LC)

There are also migratory Green Sea Turtles ("endangered") and Bottlenose Dolphins ("least concern").

Updating the list informs ecosystem health over time: 

• Early Warning System: Regular assessments allow for detecting changes in species populations or ecosystem conditions, prompting timely intervention.
• Adaptive Management: Data enables flexible, evidence-based adjustments to conservation strategies as conditions change.

We also use the assessments in education:

• Raising Awareness: Highlighting local biodiversity increases public interest and engagement in conservation efforts on campus and within the broader Prescott region.
• Citizen Science: Work days with the Butte Creek Restoration Council allow people to participate in monitoring species and habitats, fostering stewardship. For example, this place-based education is often insightful for people who have never thought of the species growing next to their yards.

The assessment guides planning and restoration efforts:

• Development: Helps planning to avoid or minimize impacts on native species on campus by identifying areas of ecological importance.
• Restoration: Guides the restoration council in areas to remove invasives and plant new native species.

A student completed a tree species mapping project. This map was created using the open-source GIS program QGIS. The map can be saved as a Geojson file or any other GIS file type, allowing users to edit or update the map as needed in any GIS application. Data on specific trees, such as height, diameter at breast height, and phenology, can be embedded within the map. The student used the smartphone app Gaia GPS to collect GPS location information on trees. He then transferred the GPS coordinates to an Excel spreadsheet with data on tree height, diameter at breast height, and phenology. Each tree on the map is numbered and tagged so researchers can locate individual trees on the ground and reference the tree data within the Excel data sheet. Researchers can get directions to individual trees on the ground by inputting the coordinates into your smartphone or GPS unit. This system allows the map and datasheet to continuously update as native trees are planted and invasive trees are removed to track progress.

Credit: Jacob Linnon, 10/16/2024