| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 71.57 |
| Liaison | Greg Maginn |
| Submission Date | Jan. 22, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
The Ohio State University
OP-11: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Brent
Macolley Facilities Service Manager Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetlands Research Park |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
None
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
None
A brief description of any legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance on institution owned or managed land:
The Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park is a long-term, large-scale aquatic research facility located along the northern edge of The Ohio State University’s Columbus campus. The Schiermeier Wetlands is the home of the School of Environment and Natural Resources’ aquatics program and a gateway to research, teaching and outreach related to water resources at the university.
The wetlands park is listed as a Ramsar Site of International importance, and includes freshwater, tree-dominated wetlands, permanent rivers/streams/creeks, seasonal/intermittent freshwater marshes, and permanent freshwater marshes. It is a unique combination of 1) a biologically diverse assemblage of different wetland and riverine habitats both representative and unique to the region; 2) high-quality university teaching, research, and publishing related specifically to wetland ecology and management; and 3) significant wetland ecotourism and outreach for an urban community where few wetlands remain. The site has supported almost 160 bird species, diverse fish and invertebrate communities in the river and marshes, and a wide variety of mammals, amphibians and reptiles, all within an urban region.
None
Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Yes
None
Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify environmentally sensitive areas on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Yes
None
The methodology(-ies) used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or environmentally sensitive areas and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:
Ohio State conducts wildlife inventories and site surveys within the wetlands. For instance, the university completed electrofishing on a regular basis in rivers throughout Ohio including adjacent to our property in the Olentangy River down through main campus. Additionally, Ohio State’s raises endangered species of spotted darter (Etheostoma maculatum) with the intention of releasing them into rivers throughout Ohio where they have been extirpated. Lastly, the university’s BioPresence project has been working to catalog wildlife throughout the campus using citizen science.
None
A brief description of identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
Identified wetland and its extents
None
A brief description of plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
The Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park is a university campus facility in Ohio, USA, designed to provide teaching, research, and service related to wetland and river science and ecological engineering. At the research park, we seek to understand: 1) how wetlands function, and 2) if and how we can create and restore wetlands.
It is a long-term, large-scale wetland research facility. There is no other facility of its kind on any other university campus in the world, so it also has as its mission the dissemination of wetland science and ecological engineering around the world.
The wetland research park is also a nature park for the residents of central Ohio, providing habitat for a wide variety of plants, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds.
None
The website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity policies and programs(s) is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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