Improvement in Data Base and Visitor Services, Archbold Biological Station

阿奇博尔德生物站（ABS）是一个独立的生态研究设施，位于佛罗里达州中南部。ABS开展并推动长期生态研究。1988年，ABS成为10,200英亩巴克岛牧场（位于isokpoga草原上ABS主要财产以东8英里处）的所有者，并建立了约翰·d·麦克阿瑟农业生态研究中心。ABS执行主任John Fitzpatrick博士建议安装地理信息系统（GIS），这是一个结合了数据库管理器和绘图计算机系统的系统。ABS聘请了一名全职GIS技术人员，将各种地图和地理参考数据集（包括该物业的火灾历史）电脑化，并帮助居民和来访的科学家在他们的研究中利用这一新设施。拟议的地理信息系统装置将对阿奇博尔德生物站的研究活动产生重要影响。由于这种新的计算能力，许多新的研究人员将在ABS建立研究项目，目前的常驻和访问研究人员将能够探索他们的数据，并在新的复杂水平上设计新的研究。例如，植物和动物物种的分布图将被数字化，并根据土壤类型和每个栖息地的火灾频率进行分析。生物数据将与水文、地形、地球化学和历史数据相结合，对生态过程产生许多新的见解。

Archbold Biological Station (ABS) is an independent ecological research facility located in south-central Florida. ABS conducts and promotes long-term ecological research. In 1988 ABS became proprietor of the 10,200 acre Buck Island Ranch, 8 miles east of the main ABS property on the Istokpoga Prairie, and established the John D. MacArthur Agro-ecology Research Center. Dr. John Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of ABS, proposes installation of a Geographic Information System (GIS), which is a combined database manager and mapping computer system. ABS has hired a full-time GIS technician to computerize a variety of maps and geographically-referenced datasets (including the history of fires on the property) and to help resident and visiting scientists utilize this new facility in their research. The proposed GIS installation will have an important impact on research activities at the Archbold Biological Station. Many new investigators will establish research programs at ABS because of this new computing capability, and the current group of resident and visiting investigators will be able to explore their data and design new studies at new levels of sophistication. For example, distribution maps of plant and animal species will be digitized and analyzed relative to soil type and the recency of fires in each habitat. Biological data will be integrated with hydrologic, topographic, geochemical, and historical data, yielding many new insights into ecological processes.