CCBER conducts vegetation, wildlife and water quality monitoring and supports a wide range of research projects which primarily focus on questions related to enhancing restoration and management efforts for diverse plant communities and wildlife. Links to annual reports and brief summary reports on the monitoring results from restoration projects are available on the management area pages and from the relevant monitoring page.
The goal of monitoring and research work is to enhance restoration strategies, refine goals and develop a deeper understanding of the ecology of different sites. In addition, these projects give students and faculty an opportunity to work in the living laboratory around campus to gain relevant field experience. Some examples of how research has played a role in restoration planning include: profiles of the soil texture on Lagoon Island compared to vernal pool sites in the region showed that soils were too sandy on Lagoon Island to include vernal pools as a restoration goal for that site. A two year prescribed burn project on Lagoon Island demonstrated the benefits of using supplemental fuel to heat the soil sufficiently to eliminate the non-native seed bank. Monthly bird surveys around the Campus Lagoon have demonstrated that the small islands adjacent to the UCEN support a high diversity and number of shorebirds as intended.