Development of Indio Mountains Research Station, Phase III

印第奥山脉研究站第三期开发

• 批准号: 0934271
• 负责人: Jerry Johnson
• 金额: $ 10.67万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at El Paso
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-15 至 2012-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0934271&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Development; Indio; Mountains; Research; Station

History: The Chihuahuan Desert, which may be the least studied North American desert but with possibly the highest biodiversity of any desert, has few areas with unrestricted access to locations for field research and education. Indio Mountains Research Station (IMRS) is a 40,000 acre research and educational facility operated by the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The station is located in the Chihuahuan Desert of west Texas, adjacent to the U.S.-Mexico border. Examples of current research activities at IMRS include rattlesnake and lizard ecology, arthropod ecology in ephemeral pools, systematics of scorpions, spiders and centipedes and structural geology studies of the Chihuahuan Desert. A new laboratory dedicated to wireless communication, computer technology, and laboratory operations would increase the value of this station. The remote locality of IMRS makes this technology vital for current operations and future research initiatives. Usage of IMRS has increased during the last five years, primarily because of NSF-funded improvements, but a modern center to house essential items for technological and logistic support is needed. Project plan: This award to University of Texas-El Paso is to build a laboratory and technology building with clean space dedicated to computer resources, including wireless access to remote stations on IMRS, to the UTEP campus, and the internet. It will also contain space for laboratory activities associated with field studies and a wet lab. The present electrical and water systems will also be expanded to sustain the additional infrastructure. UTEP, with IMRS as its major field investigation facility, is a foremost educator of underrepresented Hispanic students in science and technology. Enrollment at UTEP is about 21,000 and includes over 72% Hispanic students, with a majority of these students female. UTEP also educates most of the K-12 teachers in the El Paso area (schools are close to 80% Hispanic). Thus, students, teachers and future teachers involved in IMRS activities will have a significant impact on the scientific competence of K-12 students and should increase interest of minority students in science and scientific disciplines. In addition, future partnering with long term observatory network groups will advance the value of IMRS as a field site.

历史：奇瓦瓦沙漠可能是北美研究最少的沙漠，但可能是所有沙漠中生物多样性最高的地区，几乎没有什么地方可以不受限制地进行实地研究和教育。印第奥山研究站 (IMRS) 是一个占地 40,000 英亩的研究和教育设施，由德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校 (UTEP) 运营。该站位于德克萨斯州西部的奇瓦瓦沙漠，毗邻美国和墨西哥边境。 IMRS 目前的研究活动包括响尾蛇和蜥蜴生态学、短暂水池中的节肢动物生态学、蝎子、蜘蛛和蜈蚣的系统学以及奇瓦瓦沙漠的结构地质学研究。一个致力于无线通信、计算机技术和实验室运营的新实验室将增加该站的价值。 IMRS 的偏远地区使得该技术对于当前的操作和未来的研究计划至关重要。在过去五年中，IMRS 的使用有所增加，主要是因为 NSF 资助的改进，但需要一个现代化的中心来容纳技术​​和后勤支持的基本物品。项目计划：授予德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校的该奖项旨在建造一座实验室和技术大楼，该大楼拥有干净的空间，专用于计算机资源，包括对 IMRS 远程站、UTEP 校园和互联网的无线访问。它还将包含与现场研究和湿实验室相关的实验室活动空间。目前的电力和供水系统也将得到扩展，以维持额外的基础设施。 UTEP 以 IMRS 作为其主要实地调查机构，是科学和技术领域代表性不足的西班牙裔学生的最重要的教育者。 UTEP 的入学人数约为 21,000 人，其中超过 72% 是西班牙裔学生，其中大多数是女性。 UTEP 还为埃尔帕索地区的大多数 K-12 教师提供教育（学校中接近 80% 是西班牙裔）。因此，参与 IMRS 活动的学生、教师和未来教师将对 K-12 学生的科学能力产生重大影响，并应提高少数族裔学生对科学和科学学科的兴趣。此外，未来与长期天文台网络团体的合作将提升 IMRS 作为现场站点的价值。