FSML New Research and Educational Facilities at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Stanford University

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides partial support for the construction of a central research facility at the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve of Stanford. The Preserve currently has a patchwork of dispersed, antiquated structures that were never intended to be permanent or to serve their current functions. The new centralized buildings will provide space for research, and for a variety of educational activities. The Preserve offers significant research opportunities in a number of fields because of the geologic history of its site, the resulting ecological diversity in the area, and the proximity of the site to research and educational institutions in the San Francisco Bay Area. Research activities at the site include a number of long-term and short-term projects, both representing a broad range of disciplines and a diverse community of researchers. Areas of research strength include: multi-disciplinary studies of global change; biological invasions; global biogeochemistry; conservation biology; and landscape and community ecology. The new construction has been planned with three major considerations: needs demonstrated by research programs at the site over the past 10 years; current and anticipated research programs, including pending proposals; and feedback from visiting scientists and students. The new centralized facility is expected to accommodate current activities plus 20% growth over a 20-year period.