Improvement of Winter Research Logistics, Climate Program and Water Facilities at the Mountain Research Station

威廉·鲍曼博士是科罗拉多大学山地研究站的负责人，该站位于落基山脉前缘海拔2900米的大陆分水岭附近。空间站附近的尼沃特山脊地区是一个高山冻土带研究区域，被美国国家科学基金会指定为长期生态研究地点，被美国林业局和生态研究所指定为实验生态保护区，并被联合国教科文组织和美国国务院指定为生物圈保护区。鲍曼博士请求支持购买两辆用于研究的雪地摩托，升级气象站的设备，以及空间站供水系统的越冬。对山地研究站的拟议设备采购和场地改进将使研究项目能够在冬季的几个月内运作，并将提高在研究站收集的环境数据的质量和数量。对脆弱的冻土带环境的研究对我们理解全球气候变化尤为关键。该野外站支持了这一领域的领先研究，对该设施的持续改进将大大加强未来的研究。

Dr. William Bowman is Director of the University of Colorado's Mountain Research Station, located at 2900 meters elevation in the Front Range of the Rockies near the Continental Divide. The Niwot Ridge area near the Station is an alpine tundra study area that is designated an NSF-supported Long-Term Ecological Research Site, an Experimental Ecological Reserve by the U.S. Forest Service and the Institute of Ecology, and a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO and the U.S. State Department. Dr. Bowman requests support for purchase of two snowmobiles for research use, an upgrade of their weather station equipment, and winterization of the Station's water supply system. The proposed equipment acquisitions and site improvements to the Mountain Research Station would make it possible for research projects to operate during the winter months, and would increase the quality and quantity of environmental data gathered at the Station. Research on the fragile tundra environment is especially critical to our understanding of global climate change. This field station has supported leading research in this area, and continued improvement to this facility will enhance future research significantly.