| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 50.50 |
| Liaison | Ryan Chabot |
| Submission Date | March 2, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Central Florida
OP-9: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.85 / 2.00 |
Patrick
Bohlen Director Lanscape & Natural Resources |
Total campus area (i.e. the total amount of land within the institutional boundary):
Figures required to calculate the total area of managed grounds:
| Area (double-counting is not allowed) | |
| Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses a four-tiered approach | 305.30 Acres |
| Area managed in accordance with an organic land care standard or sustainable landscape management program that has eliminated the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in favor of ecologically preferable materials | 0 Acres |
| Area managed using conventional landscape management practices (which may include some IPM principles or techniques) | 54.50 Acres |
| Total area of managed grounds | 359.80 Acres |
A brief description of any land excluded from the area of managed grounds (e.g. the footprint of buildings and impervious surfaces, experimental agricultural land, areas that are not regularly managed or maintained):
Areas excluded from managed grounds include building footprints, impervious surfaces, and natural lands.
Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an IPM program:
A copy of the IPM plan or program:
A brief description of the IPM program:
UCF's IPM plan outlines procedures to be followed to reduce pest infestations by evaluating the biological features contributing to an infestation, thus improving ecosystem health. The plan is designed to comply with policies and regulations published by the Florida Department of Agriculture. The IPM plan addresses a four-tiered approach: prevention strategies; monitoring for pest; taking action when appropriate (action thresholds); and identification of appropriate controls.
Objectives of this IPM plan include:
-Elimination of significant threats caused by pests
-Prevention of loss or damage of plant material by pests.
-Protection of environmental quality.
Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an organic program:
A brief description of the organic land standard or landscape management program that has eliminated the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in favor of ecologically preferable materials:
A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:
The university has a Florida Friendly (TM) landscape surrounding Garage H which is compromised of entirely native vegetation. The majority of the urban tree canopy on campus is comprised of Florida native species, including Live oaks (Quercus virginiata), red maples (Acer rubrum), sweet gums (Liquidambar styraciflua), magnolias (Magnolia sp.) and sycamore trees (Platanus occidentalis). There is also a native wildflower garden surrounding the Arboretum greenhouse. Native and drought-tolerant plants are used in new landscapes to cut back on water usage.
A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
Wetlands area and conservation easements, restoration projects in natural lands, restoration of the main drainage ditch, reclaimed water for irrigation, UCF master plan conservation element. NPDES?
The university has 11 man-made stormwater ponds on its campus that collect rainwater runoff from impervious surfaces and filter impurities before allowing the water to flow into a natural community. These natural communities then filter the water further before it flows off of campus and into the Little Econlockhatchee River.
The campus landscape is irrigated with 100% reclaimed water.
The Natural Resources department has carried out two restoration projects that relate directly to water filtration. The first is in a natural riparian community in the northeast portion of campus, an area that is included in the 726 acres of conservation land on campus. Aquatic plants were planted in areas that pool to encourage filtration of water by the plants and to deter motor vehicles from driving through the area, degrading natural topography of the system. Transition zone flora was planted along the “trail” that leads to the pooling location to slow the flow of water and alleviate erosion stress. The second restoration project is ongoing and is located in a man-dug canal that carries stormwater out of the urban portion of campus and into the conservation portion of campus. Invasive plant species were removed and native wetland flora, including aquatic vegetation and hardwood trees, were planted along the edge of the canal to filter and slow the flow of water and to reduce erosion.
A brief description of the institution's approach to materials management and waste minimization (e.g. composting and/or mulching on-site waste):
Recycling of hardwood trimmings, small-scale composting in the community garden, landscape trimmings and debris are picked up by Raynor Shine which grinds them into mulch and compost.
A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
Landscape Master Plan, the University of Central Florida Campus Tree Care Plan, Student Service Learning Projects on Heat island effect studies.
A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution (e.g. use of environmentally preferable landscaping materials, initiatives to reduce the impacts of ice and snow removal, wildfire prevention):
Landscape master plan (https://www.green.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/UCF-LNR-Master-Plan.pdf), prescribed burn program (https://www.green.ucf.edu/natural-resources/prescribed-fires/)
The website URL where information about the programs or 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.