Lab Field Trip to the University of Michigan Biological Station

The Pratt Lab embarked from Ann Arbor, MI on our adventure to the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS), near Pellston, MI, with the Ault Lab on last Thursday morning. A four hour drive later, we were all up in beautiful northern Michigan!

Douglas Lake, located on the UMBS property

The University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) is a unique research facility located in northern Michigan. The university acquired the land over 100 years ago and have since used it for many different kinds of research including ecological, atmospheric, and geological research. The multidisciplinary community found at the Biological Station allows many different kinds of scientists to collaborate. It is also home to two atmospheric research towers: PROPHET (Program for Research on Oxidants: PHotochemistry, Emissions, and Transport) and AmeriFlux.  The unique interdisciplinary community, as well as the presence of the towers, makes UMBS a great place for the Pratt Group to conduct atmospheric research in the field.

After a fantastic tour of the station with UMBS Director Prof. Knute Nadelhoffer (Thank you!) when we first arrived, we were able to see AmeriFlux tower facility, which is used to study carbon dioxide and water movement within the forest ecosystem.

AmeriFlux Tower

We were then able to see the top portion of the canopy by taking a ride on a Michigan-themed cherry picker with Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Ph.D. student Susan (Thank you!), who was up at UMBS for the summer studying light penetration in the forest canopy.

From left: Rosina Ho Wu, Jillian Cellini, Eric Boone, Matt Gunsch, Dan Gardner (Ault Lab), Dr. Ault, Dr. Pratt, and Amy Bondy (Ault Lab) in the UMBS forest

Graduate student Matt Gunsch taking a ride on the cherry picker

The next morning after breakfast, we all took a nature hike through an area through "the gorge", located on the UMBS property.

Beaver dam we found on our nature hike

Front view of the beaver dam

After our short nature-filled excursion, we were able to visit (and climb!) the PROPHET tower with Prof. Mary Anne Carroll (Thank you!). The PROPHET research facility has focused on biogenic hydrocarbon emissions from the forest ecosystem and their oxidation in the atmosphere. The PROPHET tower is located in a well characterized part of a mixed coniferous/deciduous forest.

Amy Bondy (Ault Lab), Matt Gunsch, and Eric Boone before the climb up the PROPHET tower

Rosina Ho Wu, Jillian Cellini, and Dan Gardner (Ault Lab) climbing up the PROPHET tower

View from the top of the PROPHET tower

Rosina Ho Wu after scaling the PROPHET tower

Jillian Cellini after climbing the PROPHET tower

Sign outside PROPHET research facility

After touring the PROPHET facility and having one last meal in the UMBS cafeteria, the Pratt and Ault labs departed for Ann Arbor after a very productive two days at the Biological Station.  We look forward to coming back for field research!