University of Michigan Biological Station
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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.