Facility Improvements and New Equipment for the Archbold Tropical Research and Education Center, Dominica, Lesser Antilles

该奖项为位于多米尼加岛上的阿奇博尔德热带研究和教育中心（ATREC）的改进提供支持，该中心是小安的列斯群岛唯一的非海洋实地研究站。ATREC位于斯普林菲尔德种植园，该种植园由克莱姆森大学所有，由近20,000平方英尺的建筑空间和92公顷的次生林组成。ATREC的地理位置为学生和研究人员提供了各种各样的栖息地类型：低地和山地雨林、矮林、热带干燥森林、沿海森林、火山喷气孔及其相关的高度专业化植被、海龟筑巢的海滩、两个淡水湖、一个沸腾湖、一百多条河流和珊瑚礁。被联合国列为世界遗产的莫恩·特鲁瓦·皮托斯国家公园（Morne Trois Pitons National Park）就在火车站的步行距离之内，而北部森林保护区（Northern Forest Reserve）、莫恩·Diablotin和卡布里茨国家公园（Cabrits National Parks）则不到一个小时的车程。在过去五年中，七所美国大学的实地课程都以ATREC为基地，其中大多数每年都回来。预计今年还会有三所北美大学使用该空间站，预计2006年的空间站使用天数将是2000年和2001年的三倍。2005年的一项战略规划工作确定了改善固定基础设施和设备以适应这一增长的最迫切需求。该奖项提供的资金与机构资金相结合，将通过翻新整个现场站的管道和屋顶，在现有结构中创建安全的收集设施和湿实验室，以及更新现有的教室和厨房来满足这些需求。还提供资金更换一辆已有20年历史的车站卡车，并增加一个天气监测站。整修和增建将有助于提高实地站的能力，以满足在小安的列斯群岛研究生态学、进化生物学、湖沼学和地质学的学生和研究人员不断增加的各种需要。多米尼克岛是加勒比地区最贫穷的国家之一，但拥有无与伦比的生物资源。岛上近70%的面积仍被原生植被覆盖，其中包括小安的列斯群岛最濒危栖息地的最佳范例。在这个奖项的帮助下，ATREC有望成为一个科学和保护的区域中心，将来自小安的列斯群岛和加勒比地区的研究人员和决策者聚集在一起。它已经成为多米尼加人和国际游客的全国生物教育中心。在大学层面，ATREC为北美学生和研究人员与西印度群岛大学多米尼加分校和多米尼加州立学院的同行之间的合作提供了巨大的机会。该奖项将有助于保护多米尼克国家植物标本室，该标本室位于ATREC。

This award provides support for improvements in the the Archbold Tropical Research and Education Center (ATREC), located on the island of Dominica, the only non-marine field research station in the Lesser Antilles. ATREC is housed at Springfield Plantation, which is owned by Clemson University, and is composed of almost 20,000 ft2 of building space and 92 hectares of secondary forest. The location of ATREC provides easy access for students and researchers to a wide variety of habitat types: lowland and montane rain forest, elfin forest, tropical dry forest, littoral forest, volcanic fumaroles and their associated highly specialized vegetation, beaches with nesting sea turtles, two freshwater lakes, one boiling lake, over a hundred rivers, and coral reefs. The Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a United Nations World Heritage site, is within walking distance of the station, while the Northern Forest Reserve, Morne Diablotin and Cabrits National Parks are less than an hour away by car. In the last five years, field courses from seven U.S. universities have been based at ATREC, most returning year after year. Three more North American universities are expected to use the station this year, with 2006 use expected to triple the annual number of station use days in comparison to the level in 2000 & 2001. A strategic planning effort in 2005 identified the most urgent needs for improvements in fixed infrastructure and equipment to accommodate this growth. Funds provided with this award, in combination with institutional funds, will address these needs by renovating the plumbing and roofing for the entire field station, creating a secure collections facility and wet lab within existing the existing structures, and updating existing classrooms and kitchen. Funds are also provided to replace a 20 year old station truck and to add a weather monitoring station. The renovations and additions will serve to increase the capacity of the field station to serve the varied and increasing needs of students and researchers studying ecology, evolutionary biology, limnology, and geology in the Lesser Antilles. The island of Dominica is one of the poorest countries in the Caribbean, but has unparalleled biological resources. Almost 70% of the island is still covered by native vegetation, including the best examples of the Lesser Antilles' most endangered habitats. With the aid of this award, ATREC is expected to become a regional center for science and conservation, bringing together researchers and decision makers from all over the Lesser Antilles and Caribbean. It already serves as a nation-wide biological education center for both Dominicans and international visitors. At the university level, ATREC provides tremendous opportunities for collaboration between North American students and researchers with their counterparts at the Dominica branch of the University of the West Indies and Dominica State College. The award will help safeguard Dominica's National Herbarium, which is housed at ATREC.