About the Station
What is MLBS?
Mountain Lake Biological Station is a full-service residential field station located on the remote, but easily accessible, mountaintop of Salt Pond Mountain (1,160m) in the southern Appalachians of southwest Virginia. The station is surrounded by sharp ecological gradients and fine-scale changes in habitat - ideal conditions for the studies of ecology and evolution. MLBS offers the full range of scientific, instructional, and communications support expected at a modern field station. Programs at MLBS range from a variety of summer field courses, to a long-standing National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, to numerous faculty-driven research projects. Biologists and students from around the world come to the station to explore the diverse flora and fauna of the Southern Appalachians. Typical users are in residence, often with their families, from a few weeks to up to three months at a time. An average summer-season day at MLBS hosts a community of 45-100 people ranging from small children to undergraduates and graduate students to distinguished research faculty. All members of the community work, eat, and live together everyday, integrating research and mentorship in the truest sense of a Jeffersonian “academical village.”
History
MLBS was established in 1929 by the University of Virginia’s (UVA) Department of Biology as a summer facility for teaching and research. The prominence of MLBS as a national research station took hold in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s as population based field research was gaining momentum and MLBS became one of a few very active field stations in that area. Most research at MLBS continues to involve field-oriented studies at the population level, with strengths in the evolution, ecological genetics, population and community ecology, behavioral physiology, and conservation of organisms in natural habitats. The station continues to grow in diversity and demographics and serves a broad range of scientists and students drawn from a national and international pool. Training operations, too, have diversified beyond the University to include a nationally renowned REU program and a highly competitive high school Talent Identification Program (TIP) run by Duke University. Demand for spring and fall services has increased, driving MLBS to expand its mission from a primarily summer operation to one offering access, scientific support, group-use facilities, housing, and other resources 12 months a year.
The Site
Immersion in protected natural areas is a key appeal of MLBS for both research and training. The station sits on a remote wooded ridge at an elevation of 1,160m precisely on the divide between the Atlantic and Mississippi drainage basins in the Appalachian Mountains of southwestern Virginia. The station consists of a forested reserve of 259ha on which UVA holds a renewable 50-year lease. Adjoining the station is the Jefferson National Forest, where over 40,470ha of woodland are available for study. Of this, 4,250ha adjacent to MLBS is defined as NFS Wilderness. The private Wilderness Conservancy at Mountain Lake owns another 1,012ha that border MLBS and welcomes our use for teaching and research. Mountain Lake itself, which is in walking distance from the station, is the only natural lake in the unglaciated Appalachians and is of great biological and geological interest. The variety of rich and diverse habitats near MLBS have provided excellent opportunities for studies in terrestrial and aquatic field biology. Mixed deciduous forests, mountain streams, successional meadows, a large natural lake, ponds, rocky ridges, sphagnum bogs, stands of red spruce, Canadian hemlock, white pine, and disturbed and virgin habitats are all among the interesting habitats within walking distance of the station. Because the station is located on the eastern continental divide, and is surrounded by strong elevational and environmental gradients, there are an unusual number of opportunities for observational and experimental studies on a scale relevant to the ecology and evolution of many plant and animal populations.
The Physical Plant
The physical facility at MLBS includes approximately 50,000sf divided among 29 buildings. Most of these structures date from the early 1930s, forming much of the charm of the station. In 2000, MLBS was included in the Greater Newport Historic District. All buildings at the station greater than 50 years old (includes all but two residential buildings) are listed as “historic” in Virginia State and Federal Historic Registers. Although UVA is committed to protecting the integrity of its historically significant structures and vets all planned actions through the UVA Architects, significant improvements to the facility proceed. In the past 15 years, UVA has contributed over $2,000,000 to the renovation and new construction of MLBS facilities and equipment, including matching funds for over $500,000 of NSF facilities support in 1991 and 1999 combined. In addition to building upgrades and renovation, supported projects in the past 15 years include a new water treatment and distribution system, construction of a winterized laboratory building, a new dormitory, lead and asbestos abatement throughout the station, and installation of station-wide computer network with high-speed internet service.
MLBS includes two large laboratory buildings. Lewis Laboratory houses three teaching classrooms, a large auditorium (occupancy 150; networked multimedia projection system), a library (online catalog, networked workstations and printers), station offices and stockroom, station museum and herbarium collections. Seven laboratories are available for resident research groups. Common facilities include an electrophoresis and general wet chemistry laboratory and a DNA extraction facility (and see Scientific Facilities below). The Aquatics Laboratory completed in 1995 with NSF support houses an environment-controlled and fully networked computer lab, microscope and state-of-the-art image analysis facilities, two environmental rooms for animal husbandry, extended range growth chambers, a fully equipped woodworking shop, and a large (28 X 80ft) multipurpose room that houses a wide variety of experiments and indoor research support. Both laboratories are served by an Ethernet and wireless LAN.
Housing units are described below, and comprise 22 cabins and dorms and 1 winterized dormitory building. A common kitchen is available in the winterized dormitory. The Jefferson Dining Hall has a large commercial kitchen and dining capacity that can accommodate all station residents (100 max) at one sitting. The semi-open post-and-beam Walton Pavilion was built in the early 1980’s as a recreational facility. The Pavilion is used for large discussion groups, visiting field trips, and Sunday night barbecues, as well as dances and other recreational functions.
Scientific Facilities
Scientific equipment and facilities housed in our lab buildings include sub-meter GPS, digital surveying, environmental data logging, high quality microscopes (including epiflorescence), digital imaging equipment, centrifuges, balances, incubators, ovens, autoclave, refrigerators, freezers, -80C freezer, laminar flow hood, controlled environment chambers, projection system, as well as a full array of basic field and lab supplies and equipment. The wet lab houses a fume hood, DI system to support biochemical and microbiology work, and electrophoresis set up. Several research exclosures and a small green house are maintained on site. A ¾ ton 4WD pickup truck, 4WD Suburban, and two minivans are available for research and course use. MLBS solicits requests from users yearly for additional common-use equipment. Regular equipment upgrades and replacement are funded annually by UVA.
The station maintains computer databases including a comprehensive local geographic information system (GIS), on-site automated weather station data, historical species lists, biological collection records (a new state of the art “digital herbarium” project is underway), a station publication list dating back to the station’s founding, and user and project activity records. A real time on-line NOAA/NWS automated rain gage is on site. NADP/NTN Monitoring Location VA13 – “Horton Station” is 4km from the station and data are on line. NCDC/NOAA data was collected at MLBS between 1971 and 1997 and are on line.
Administration
MLBS is a unit of the College of Arts and Sciences at University of Virginia. The campus office in Charlottesville Virginia is staffed by the Director, Associate Director, and Office Manager. The Station is in Giles County Virginia and is staffed full time by the Station Manager who is directly responsible for day to day operations at the Station, and the Facilities Manager who maintains the buildings and grounds. During the summer the Director and Associate Director are in residence and two summer staff assist the Manager. Station use and housing are supported year round. Dining services are offered in the summer.
The station supports a summer population of 60-100 students, researchers and their families. Visiting scientists conduct research in plant and animal population biology, behavioral ecology, life history evolution, community ecology, ecological genetics, biosystematics, epidemiology, conservation biology, and the physiology of behavior. Biologists interested in field studies are encouraged to consider Mountain Lake as a home for their research. Some financial assistance is available to assist graduate students and faculty in starting research projects at the Station.
There are many opportunities for undergraduates to take courses and to serve as field and laboratory assistants to graduate students and faculty conducting research at the station. Some positions are volunteer; others are paid.