Sustainable Development Goal: 15 Life on Land

Urban Deer Management

The number of urban deer in Logan City is increasing and without management, they will likely cause serious problems. While some residents have expressed concern and asked the City to address it, others believe no action is necessary. The experience of urban deer population control in other Utah cities suggests that this will be a […]

Muscatine Arts & Culture Project

The IISC and Arts Share developed a low-cost public art project for a student in the MFA program. The project used recycled materials to create a sculpture that pays homage to an important member of the Mississippi River Valley’s ecosystem, the bald eagle. Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner. Iowa […]

Fort Ord Assimilation

The Fort Ord Army base was decommissioned in 1994. The base was 28,000 acres large, roughly the same size as San Francisco. The Fort Ord Base Reuse Plan was developed to find new uses for the vacated land; 21,000 acres were designated for conservation while 7,000 acres were designated for development. The CSU Monterey Bay […]

Boone County Fish Barrier Design

The Don Williams Lake Spillway Fish Barrier Project will help to maximize stocking efforts by retaining stocked fish, preventing invasive species from migrating into the lake, and improve overall lake quality. This project, completed by University of Iowa students, will make Don Williams Lake a more attractive destination for fishing and recreation, bringing in more […]

Enhancing Urban Pollinator and Beneficial Insect Habitat

Students researched bee diversity in Iowa City, compared it to bee diversity in prairie and agricultural settings, and related it to floral diversity in each setting. They used pan trapping and sweep netting methods to collect bees during their research. They offered recommendations to the City of Iowa City to help the area maintain and […]

Blufflands Protection

Students in the Geographical and Sustainability Sciences program develop a methodology for mapping blufflands using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology. Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner. Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities Contact Info University Faculty Contact David Bennett Geographical and Sustainability Sciences Local Government / Community Contact […]

Soil Analysis of Potential Urban Agriculture Areas within City Limits

Students in the Earth and Environmental Sciences program evaluated soils at the Chadek property, which was a vacant city lot located in the Morningside neighborhood of Iowa City, south of City High and a few blocks west of 1st Ave. Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner. Iowa Initiative for Sustainable […]

Economic Loss Due To The Emerald Ash Borer

Students in CED 309 will estimate the loss of ash trees to the emerald ash borer, explore strategies to maximize the value of removed trees, and analyze the impact of tree loss on property values and the perceptions of public investment in tree planting. Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner. […]

Urban Ecology

Students in a geography class completed two separate projects for Iowa City. The first project focused on the ecological functions of roadside vegetation in Iowa City, including identification of roadside land area in the city that can be prioritized for re-planting and re-design as native vegetation areas. The second project focused on urban raptors. Students […]

Emerald Ash Borer: Monitoring and Management

Students conducted research on Iowa City’s ash trees to help prepare for the emerald ash borer (EAB) and develop a response plan. Students used various survey methodologies to assess current ash tree condition and coverage in Iowa City, including counting the trees, recording their GPS coordinates, and measuring their characteristics. Using this data, students created […]

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