Appalachian State University
OP-10: Landscape Management

Landscape services follows a four-tiered IPM plan. Landscape Services Plant Health Care Specialists scouts for pests and pathogens as needed using life cycles, degree days, and population thresholds to pinpoint the most effective time to treat affected plants. Using IPM allows Landscape Services to use the most effective environmentally friendly product on stressed plants this completely does away with unnecessary blanket applications . In 2013, 11 Landscape Services employees completed Master Gardener training which focused on IPM education.

Landscape Services makes all attempts to plant the right native plant in the right place, thus limiting the use of excessive resources. Plants are watered only to establish them, and are treated for pest and pathogens only as needed. Trees and shrubs are usually only fertilized after a soil test has been done to prescribe the exact analysis of nutrients required.

Landscape Services attempts to use as many native trees, shrubs, and perennials as possible. All submitted landscape plans are reviewed by the landscape services department to insure native plant material is used wherever possible. The native plants selected are the ones best suited for adaptability to the climate, watering needs as well as helping with the IPM program campus-wide. Invasive species are no longer planted and will be phased out as money and resources allows.

Brush and limb clean-up debris are chipped up on-site and utilized on nature trails across campus. Some wood chips are also used as a bulking agent (a carbon source) for Appalachian's in house compost operation. The majority of grass clippings are left in place once grass is cut, which is considered 'grass-cycling'. Grass clippings will quickly decompose, returning valuable nutrients to the soil.

The compost made by Landscape Services' Compost Division is applied to the campus landscape and gardens associated with the college. Examples: (Vanoy Farm, Edible School Yard, and The Popular Grove Daycare Garden).

The University prefers organic compost and fertilizers, limits the use of Petrochemical fertilizers, and is eventually phasing out all organophosphate pesticides. Through IPM the use of organophosphates has been greatly reduced over the past 5 years.

Stream restoration projects and mitigation ponds include: Durham Park creek restoration, Hill Street mitigation pond, Central Dining creek restoration, and mitigation pond installation, Varsity Gym creek restoration, and mitigation pond installation, Good Night Brothers creek restoration, Beasley Broadcasting creek restoration. These creek restorations are sections of Boone Creek which eventually flow into the North Fork of the New River. Two mitigation ponds were also formed when Greenwood lot was made. Restoration in 2014 includes the stabilization of the banks, formation of retention ponds, the removal of exotic invasive plants, and the planting of native plant species, along the North Fork of the New River that borders our intramural fields.

Snow season, in a normal year, runs from November through the following April. Snow and ice is removed as aggressively as possible, since safety is our number one goal. We use ice melt both on the roads, sidewalks, and steps. We use rock salt on the major roads and Snow Plow Magnesium chloride on the sidewalks and steps. In an effort to reduce the amount of snow melt materials used, and as a result, reduce the environmental impacts, ASU Landscaping Services purchased a brine spreader this year (2010). By pre-treating surfaces with brine, fewer pounds of traditional snow melt material will have to be subsequently used.

Biology Preserve 67 acres adjoining campus: The Appalachian State University Nature Preserve consists of 67 acres of protected woodlands in the heart of the campus. There are two headwater streams and a small pond in the Preserve. The Preserve is interlaced with a network of hiking trails. There are several plant communities in various successional stages that are utilized by the faculty and students in the Biology Department. In addition to research, the Preserve affords Appalachian students the unique opportunity of being able to walk to sites for outdoor labs in introductory and upper level biology classes; the site is used in several graduate level courses as well. In addition, The Barker Tract and Gilley Properties in Todd, NC consist of 97 acres and 252 acres respectively and remain wild areas used for study.

Note: The area comprising "campus area" in this case includes properties off of the main campus but still located within driving range of campus. These areas are used for study, classes, and or housing. Examples include The Dark Sky Observatory, The Blackburn-Vannoy Farm, University Hall, The Water Treatment Plant, etc.