Bat Occurrence and Diversity in Urban, Suburban, and Rural Locations around Nashville, Tennessee

As urbanization increases, awareness of the effects of urbanization is crucial for the preservation of wildlife. Many species have adapted to urban areas while others are less successful in locations with a large extent of human impacts, such as noise and light pollution. Bats can be bioindicators for the impact of urbanization on wildlife. During this study, bat echolocation was recorded using an Echo Meter Touch 2 starting around sunset for an hour, once a week, during late September and October 2023. Bat species were confirmed using Kaleidoscope Pro Analysis Software. Environmental variables that could affect the presence of bats were recorded at each location, including noise and light pollution levels. Urban areas had a greater occurrence of bats. Examining the occurrence and species diversity of bats in sites with different levels of urbanization can indicate how urbanization impacts wildlife and strategies that can be taken to preserve species richness in developed areas

Relationship Between Tree Canopy Cover, Impervious Surfaces, & Bird Biodiversity in Urban Parks in Nashville, Tennessee​

Bird diversity is an indicator of the overall biodiversity in urban green spaces. Identifying factors associated with urban green spaces that strongly influence bird biodiversity can inform the development and management of urban green spaces. Parks with larger areas of impervious surfaces were predicted to have lower bird diversity than those with more tree canopy coverage. This study used iTree Canopy to determine the percentage of tree canopy and impermeable surfaces for four different areas of urban parks in Nashville, Tennessee. Two parks were closer to the urban core and two were farther away. Tree canopy and impermeable surface cover were compared to biodiversity of bird species determined from acoustic song meter recordings within the parks. Preliminary analysis of the data suggests that parks with higher percentages of impermeable areas relative to tree canopy had lower overall bird biodiversity. Managing parks for more tree canopy coverage can enhance urban bird diversity

Development Of a Checklist to Assess University Campuses for Bird-Friendliness Qualities

Nashville, Tennessee recently became part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Urban Bird Treaty (UBT) program. The Nashville UBT aims to protect and enhance bird-friendly habitats, reduce hazards to birds, and connect people to nature through bird-related activities. To support these aims, students in a conservation biology course researched potential hazards and ideal habitats for birds on college campuses. They developed a checklist covering various bird-friendly criteria, including landscaping, water sources, windows, lighting, use of pesticides, and presence of cats and other bird predators. Students then beta-tested the checklist on the campus at Belmont University. The goals of this project are to engage students in learning about urban bird-friendly criteria, apply that information to develop and test the checklist, and create a tool that can be used by other universities to assess their campuses for characteristics that support urban birds. The checklist and course project details will be presented

CO2 Sequestration and Temperature Modulation by Plants on Green Roofs

Green roofs can play a role in CO2 absorption and temperature modulation in urban areas as a means of countering the impacts of climate change and heat effects due to urbanization. While diverse plants can be found on green roofs, the different role they play in mediating these effects is not clear. This study, using constructed polyethylene tents around plants and bare soil sites, measured atmospheric CO2, soil temperature, relative humidity and air temperature for four species of plants located on Belmont University’s green roofs. The species were Sulfur Cosmos, Yucca, Hairawn Muhly, and Goldenrod. Three species, Yucca, Hairawn Muhly and Goldenrod, demonstrated lower rates of atmospheric CO2 and lower soil temperatures whereas Sulfur Cosmos demonstrated no difference in these conditions. Studies such as these can aid in providing information on the best species to utilize on green roofs in order to combat climate change and heat island effects

Assessment of Green Spaces in Metro Nashville Public High Schools

Green spaces on and near school property have been correlated to student mental health and academic achievement. However, there is a gap in the literature investigating how quality and quantity of green space is related to socioeconomic status and school economic metrics in public high schools and the surrounding neighborhoods. Nashville public high schools located in higher socioeconomic areas and having greater financial resources were predicted to provide larger, higher quality green spaces. This study combined a quantitative analysis of neighborhood socioeconomic metrics, school socioeconomic metrics, and quantity of green space (assessed using iTree Canopy) with a qualitative field assessment using the Neighborhood Green Space Tool. Analysis reveals no correlation between green space quality and quantity with higher socioeconomic factors. However, there is evidence of disparities by schools in quality and quantity of green space raising questions of equality and equity

Tenure & Promotion at Belmont: Best practices in Creating an Effective Faculty Portfolio

Tenure & Promotion at Belmont: Best practices in Creating an Effective Faculty Portfoli