La Selva Biological Station: Integration of Research and Training in a Changing Tropical Ecosystem

该合同为改进和运营哥斯达黎加的拉塞尔瓦野外站提供部分支助，该野外站是热带研究组织在哥斯达黎加拥有和运营的三个台站之一，热带研究组织是一个由美国、哥斯达黎加、秘鲁和澳大利亚的60多所大学和研究机构组成的美国非营利财团。La Selva车站位于哥斯达黎加东北部，占地1,515公顷，是典型的低地热带雨林，毗邻Braulio Carrillo国家公园。这使得车站可以从拉塞尔瓦保护区内的近海平面到公园内的巴尔巴火山山顶（2，906米）进入受保护的森林。La Selva是新热带地区研究生产力的两个主要野外站之一，也是学生参与的顶级野外站。仅在2005年，空间站就有超过33，000个用户访问日，150个研究项目，110个大学课程和120个科学出版物。每年有100多个来自美国的大学课程在拉塞尔瓦开办，近2,000名学生参观车站。La Selva书目目前拥有近3，000个参考文献，包括260个硕士和博士学位。论文这些出版物中有900种以pdf文件的形式提供，还有几千种关于热带生物学一般主题的参考文献。在拉塞尔瓦教育计划的基石一直是学生在热带地区从事基于实地的批判性思维的机会。自1999年以来，拉塞尔瓦积极寻求接触更多来自服务不足和代表性不足群体的学生。为了解决新出现的科学问题，并为在空间站工作的广泛研究人员及其项目提供便利，拉塞尔瓦将继续改进多用户平台，提供优质服务，现代化设施，保持良好的轨道，电子连接和先进的实验室设备。

This award provides partial support for the improvement and operation of the La Selva field station in Costa Rica, one of three stations in Costa Rica owned and operated by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), a U.S. nonprofit consortium of 60 plus universities and research institutions in the United States, Costa Rica, Peru and Australia. The La Selva station encompasses 1,515 hectares of classic lowland tropical rain forest in northeastern Costa Rica where it adjoins Braulio Carrillo National Park. This allows the station to offer access to protected forests from near sea level within the La Selva reserve to the summit of Barba Volcano (2,906 m) within the park. La Selva is one of the two major field stations in the neotropics in research productivity and the top field station in student participation. In 2005 alone, the station logged over 33,000 user days of visitation, 150 research projects, 110 college courses, and 120 scientific publications. Every year more than 100 college courses from the U.S. run programs at La Selva and nearly 2,000 students visit the station. The La Selva bibliography currently boasts nearly 3,000 references, including 260 Masters and Ph.D. theses. Nine hundred of these publications are available as pdf files as are several thousand references on general themes in tropical biology. The cornerstone of education programs at La Selva has been the opportunity for students to engage in field-based, critical thinking in the tropics. Since 1999, La Selva has aggressively sought to reach more students from under-served and under-represented groups. In order to address emerging scientific issues as well as facilitate a broad range of researchers and their projects working at the station, La Selva will continue to improve the multi-user platform that provides quality services, modern facilities, well-kept trails, electronic connectivity, and advanced laboratory equipment.