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：奇瓦瓦沙漠可能是研究最少的北美沙漠，但可能是任何沙漠中生物多样性最高的沙漠，几乎没有地方无法进入实地研究和教育地点。 Indio Mountains研究站（IMRS）是由德克萨斯大学El Paso（UTEP）经营的40,000英亩研究和教育设施。该车站位于德克萨斯州西德克萨斯州的奇瓦瓦沙漠，毗邻美国 - 墨西哥边境。 IMR的当前研究活动的例子包括响尾蛇和蜥蜴生态学，短暂池的节肢动物生态学，蝎子系统学，蜘蛛和cent虫以及奇瓦瓦州沙漠的结构地质研究。致力于无线通信，计算机技术和实验室操作的新实验室将增加该站的价值。 IMR的偏远地区使这项技术对于当前的运营和未来的研究计划至关重要。在过去的五年中，IMR的使用有所增加，这主要是由于NSF资助的改进，但是需要一个现代化的中心，以容纳技术和物流支持的基本项目。项目计划：该奖项授予德克萨斯大学 - EL PASO的奖项是建造一个实验室和技术大楼，其清洁空间专门用于计算机资源，包括无线访问IMRS上的远程站，到UTEP校园和互联网。它还将包含用于实验室研究和湿实验室的实验室活动的空间。当前的电气和供水系统还将扩展以维持其他基础设施。 UTEP以IMR为主要的现场调查设施，是科学技术领域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，其中包括超过72％的西班牙裔学生，其中大多数这些学生。 UTEP还教育El Paso地区的大多数K-12老师（学校接近80％的西班牙裔）。因此，参与IMRS活动的学生，老师和未来的教师将对K-12学生的科学能力产生重大影响，并应增加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组合作将提高IMR作为现场站点的价值。