Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 60.83
Liaison Parker Long
Submission Date March 2, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Virginia Commonwealth University
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Joseph Costa
Sustainability Projects and Program Coordinator
Sustainability
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Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance?:
Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

A portion of the VCU Rice Rivers Center is under a conservation easement that is held and managed by The Nature Conservancy.

The Rice Rivers Center is within an area designated by the Audobon Society as the Lower James River Bird Area.


Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Yes

Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify environmentally sensitive areas on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Yes

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or environmentally sensitive areas (including most recent year assessed) and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

All wetlands on the Rice River Center property were delineated using industry methodology by a certified wetland scientist.
Surveys of animals, especially insects and birds as well as plants, are and continue to be conducted to determine overall biodiversity and the presence/absence of endangered/threatened species.


A brief description of identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:

Much of our research focuses on large river ecosystems, their riparian habitats and associated wetlands. Our unique location on a tidal freshwater section of the James River helps us specialize in multiple areas of study: wetlands restoration, anadromous fishes, nutrient dynamics and plankton in river food chains, the ecology of freshwater tidal creeks and public health issues concerning waterborne disease.


A brief description of plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:

There are no specific plans in effect other than the continued adherence to the terms of the conservation easement placed on some of the center's acreage.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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