University of Michigan. Biological Station

Research station established in 1909 on Douglas Lake in Cheboygan County and administered by the University of Michigan for field research and education.

The University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) was established in 1909 and is part of the College of Literature, Science and Arts. It is located on the tip of the lower peninsula of Michigan, on the shores of Douglas Lake. The UMBS encompasses many habitats, including several vegetation zones, bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, beach pools, natural undeveloped lake shoreline, lakes, and two creek watersheds. It was established to protect the land for current and future research.

The UMBS is both a teaching and research facility. It was established for summer research only but expanded to operate all year in the early 1970s to allow for more thorough study of the ecosystems. Undergraduate and graduate students attend seminars, classes, and conduct independent studies to learn how to conduct research. Professionals come to the UMBS to conduct research, and to teach. There are research facilities, teaching laboratories and classrooms, a library, and living facilities.

The research at UMBS is focused on field biology and ecology. Researchers seek to understand the habitats and ecosystems located within the UMBS. It provides a good location for studying lake, stream, and forest ecology. Other areas of research have included the physiological ecology of plants and animals, systematics, limnology, biological indicators of environmental change, and land use and management.

More current information is available at the UMBS website: http://www.umich.edu/~umbs