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

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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.