FSML; Classroom and Laboratory Improvements for Archbold Biological Station

阿奇博尔德生物站成立于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主要对威尔士湖山脉和邻近的佛罗里达州中部的生物和环境进行研究。研究的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野战站，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，教育方案包括对40名毕业生和44名本科生进行研究培训，通过访问大学课程广泛使用(超过1000个教学使用日)，以及积极的K-12教育方案(7,421个K-12访问)。目前用于教学和访问调查人员的设施有限。这项合同将使阿奇博尔德能够将现有的三个房间(一个设备简陋的教室、一个储物区和一个展示/储存区)改造成四个定制设施：(A)650英尺2的多用户教室，配有解剖望远镜、现代视听能力和综合计算机网络；(B)140英尺2的专门为K-12显示器和设备建造的储藏区；以及475英尺2的区域，包括(C)新的湿实验室区域；和(D)一个多用途实验室，配备广泛的通用设备--包括一个烘干炉、天平和一个通过远程监视器连接到摄像机/计算机输出和教室显示的复合和解剖显微镜。这些教室和实验室的改进将极大地加强Archbold的研究和教育基础设施，并增加大学课程、K-12、继续教育以及访问调查人员和学生的机会。新设施将(1)提高空间的效率，扩大可同时容纳的课堂和访问调查人员的数量和范围；(2)加强学生对生态系统的了解，并改善教学环境，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，促进更多地在课堂上直接使用内联网、互联网和WWW技术，并为现代多媒体演示提供课堂视听设备；(4)在新的湿法实验室区域更好地容纳淡水生态学研究；(5)通过提供集中的安全/急救区来提高安全性；以及(6)减少使用现有的化学实验室，同时减少对需要完整设施的人的使用。这些改造还将为目前依赖驻地调查员实验室空间和设备的访问调查员和研究生提供更有利的研究环境。两个互补的项目，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，使他们能够研究：控制植物繁殖/种子生态的非生物因素；当地土壤和结壳特有的微生物生态系统，包括真菌和藻类；以及培养来自安妮湖和季节性湿地的藻类。这一奖项还将提高Archbold将其研究项目与地区教育、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.