| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 63.89 |
| Liaison | Christa Rieck |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2022 |
University of Houston
OP-9: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 2.00 |
Total campus area:
Figures required to calculate the total area of managed grounds:
| Area (double-counting is not allowed) | |
| Area managed organically, without the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides | 0 Acres |
| Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses selected chemicals only when needed | 1,477.59 Acres |
| Area managed using conventional, chemical-based landscape management practices | 0 Acres |
| Total area of managed grounds | 1,477.59 Acres |
A brief description of any land excluded from the area of managed grounds:
Percentage of grounds managed organically:
A brief description of the organic landscape management program:
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:
The goal of our pest management program is to balance the benefits of control, cost, public health and environmental quality. We are able to do this by monitoring and evaluating pest problems and then selecting a control to prevent or cure unacceptable pest activities or damage. Pest are defined as weeds, diseases, insects or others. Control options may include chemical, cultural, manual or mechanical.
This IPM program is based of effectiveness, environmental impact, worker/public health safety and economics. We strive to take advantage of all options in implementing this program.
Our IPM program will include, but is not limited to the following steps:
A) Monitoring the campus on a regular basis for the presence of pest and monitoring the overall health of the landscape.
B) Determining the threshold of damage acceptable. This is determined by factors such as severity of the injury caused by the pest, aesthetics in the case of weed infestation and health concerns.
C) Initiating preventive or curative actions to avoid unacceptable damage. The methods selected must take into consideration the economic threshold, degree of expected control, worker/public health and safety and any potential hazards to property and the environment. When outbreaks do occur, effective methods of suppressing damaging population levels must be implemented. When measures are taken, the least toxic methods are always given preference.
A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:
Existing trees are protected during construction. The campus has a tree replacement policy of 1:1 caliper-inches replaced for every tree removed. The campus landscape list includes many native plants. Plants are selected for their durability in Houston’s high heat and humidity as well as allowing for reduced water usage.
A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
A brief description of the institution's approach to landscape materials management and waste minimization:
A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution:
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable landscape management program 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.