'The University of Michigan Biological Station' (UMBS) is a research and teaching facility operated by the
University of Michigan. It is located on the south shore of
Douglas Lake in
Northern Michigan. The station consists of 10,000 acres (40 km²) of land near
Pellston, Michigan in the northern
Lower Peninsula of Michigan and 3,200 acres (13 km²) on
Sugar Island in the
St. Mary’s River near
Sault Ste. Marie, in the
Upper Peninsula. It is one of only 47
Biosphere Reserves in the United States.
Founded in 1902, it has grown to include approximately 150 buildings, including classrooms, dormitories, a dining hall, and research facilities. Undergraduate and graduate courses are available in the spring and summer terms. It has a full time staff of 15.
In the 2000s, UMBS is increasingly focusing on the measurement of
climate change. Its fioeld researchers are gauging the impact of
global warming and increased levels of atmospheric
carbon dioxide on the
ecosystem of the upper Great Lakes region, and are using field data to improve the
computer models used to forecast further change.
UMBS field researchers sometimes call the station "bug camp" amongst themselves. This is believed to be due to the number of
mosquitoes and other insects present.
External links
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The University of Michigan Biological Station