FSML; Classroom and Laboratory Improvements for Archbold Biological Station

阿奇博尔德生物站（Archbold Biological Station，简称Archbold）成立于1941年，是一家致力于长期生态研究的非营利性独立研究机构。工作人员、访问调查人员和学生进行的研究主要集中在威尔士湖岭和邻近的佛罗里达中部的生物和环境上。研究优势领域是种群生态学和保护生物学，强调局部和区域尺度上的生态变化，以及生态敏感物种的人口变化。虽然阿奇博尔德不是附属的大学实地站，也没有正式的大学水平的教学计划，但它被大量用于教育。在过去的五年中，教育项目包括对40名毕业生和44名本科生进行研究培训，广泛使用访问大学课程（超过1000个教学使用日）和活跃的K-12教育项目（7,421次K-12访问）。目前用于教学和访问调查的设施有限。该合同将允许Archbold将三个现有的房间（一个设备简陋的教学教室、一个存储区和一个展示/存储区）改造成四个定制设施：(a) 650平方英尺的多用户教室，配有解剖镜、现代视听功能和集成的计算机网络；(b)为K-12显示器和设备专门建造的140英尺2的存储区域；和一个475平方英尺的区域，包括(c)一个新的湿实验室区域；(d)一个多功能实验室，拥有广泛的通用设备，包括烘箱、天平、复合显微镜和解剖显微镜，通过远程监视器连接到相机/电脑输出和教室显示器。这些教室和实验室的改进将显著增强Archbold的研究和教育基础设施，并增加大学课程、K-12、继续教育以及访问研究者和学生的机会。新设施将(1)提高空间效率，扩大可同时容纳的班级和访问调查员的数量和范围；(2)提高学生对生态系统的认识，改善教学环境，例如允许课堂查看和操作标本，并进行计算机辅助分类鉴定；(3)利用Archbold现有的高端计算机网络，促进内部网、互联网和www技术在教室的直接使用，并提供教室视听设备进行现代多媒体演示；(4)在新的湿地试验区更好地容纳淡水生态研究；(5)通过提供集中的安全/急救区来提高安全性；(6)减少现有化学实验室的使用，减少相关风险，以满足那些需要全套设备的人。这些改造还将为访问研究者和研究生提供一个更有利的研究环境，他们目前依赖于驻地研究者实验室的空间和设备。两个补充项目，一个生长室和发芽器，将扩大植物实验室及其合作者的能力，并使他们能够研究：控制植物繁殖/种子生态的非生物因素；微生物生态系统，包括本地土壤和结壳特有的真菌和藻类；孵化安妮湖和季节性湿地的藻类。该奖项还将提高阿奇博尔德将其研究项目与区域教育、保护和土地管理活动联系起来的能力。

Archbold Biological Station (Archbold), established in 1941, is a not-for-profit independent research institution dedicated to long-term ecological research. Staff, visiting investigators, and students conduct research primarily focused on the organisms and environments of the Lake Wales Ridge and adjacent central Florida. Areas of research strength are population ecology and conservation biology, emphasizing ecological changes over local and regional scales, and demographic shifts in ecologically sensitive species. Although Archbold is not an affiliated university field station and has no formal college-level teaching program, it is heavily used for education. In the last five years education programs have involved research training for 40 graduates and 44 undergraduates, extensive use by visiting college classes (over 1000 instructional use days) and an active K-12 education program (7,421 K-12 visits). Current facilities for teaching and for visiting investigators are limited. This award will allow Archbold to renovate three existing rooms (a poorly equipped teaching classroom, a storage area, and a display/storage area) into four custom facilities: (a) 650 ft2 multi-user classroom with dissecting scopes, modern audio-visual capabilities and integrated computer networking; (b) a 140 ft 2 purpose built storage area for K-12 displays and equipment; and a 475 ft 2 area including (c) a new Wet Lab area; and (d) a Multi-Purpose Laboratory with extensive general use equipment - including a drying oven, balances, and a compound and dissecting microscope linked to camera/computer output and classroom display via remote monitor. These classroom and laboratory improvements will significantly enhance Archbold's research and education infrastructure and increase opportunities for college classes, K-12, continuing education, as well as visiting investigators and students. The new facilities will (1) increase the efficiency of space expanding the numbers and range of classes and visiting investigators that can be accommodated simultaneously; (2) enhance student understanding of the ecosystem and improve the teaching environment, for example allowing classes to view and manipulate specimens and conduct computer-aided taxonomic identification; (3) capitalize on Archbold's existing high-end computer network to promote greater use of Intranet, Internet, and www technologies directly in the classroom and provide classroom AV equipment for modern multi-media presentations; (4) better accommodate studies of freshwater ecology in a new Wet Lab area; (5) improve safety by providing a centralized Safety/First Aid area; and (6) reduce the use of the current Chemistry Lab, with associated risk, to those who need full facilities. These renovations will also provide a more conducive research environment for visiting investigators and graduate students who currently rely on space and equipment in resident investigator labs. Two complementary items, a growth chamber and germinator, will expand the capabilities of the Plant lab and its collaborators and allow them to study: abiotic factors controlling reproduction/seed ecology of plants; microbiotic ecosystems including fungi and algae endemic to the native soils and crusts; and to incubate algae from Lake Annie and seasonal wetlands. This award will also increase Archbold's abilities to link its research programs with regional education, conservation and land management activities.