The Mountain Lake Biological Station is a field research and teaching facility of the Biology Department at the University of Virginia. The station is located 6/10ths of a mile beyond our new Trail Access Parking Lot by the stables. The students are actively doing their research on Conservancy property as evidenced by netting and flagging you may see on your visits. Please do not disturb any wildlife you see detained at these sites - they are properly attended to several times daily.

Plant Conservation and Diversity:
Bioinformatics, Systematics, and Field Techniques
(BIOL 351/851, 4 cr), Zack Murrell
The extraordinary biodiversity of the Southern Appalachians will serve as a backdrop to explore the world of plants. We will visit unique regional mountain habitats to develop an appreciation for the different species assemblages in these ecologically wide-ranging sites. Issues at these sites concerning conservation of biodiversity will be explored. The methodology and management activities of state and federal agencies involved in conservation will be examined to evaluate their effectiveness. Based upon our observations and analyses, we will critique contemporary views of the most effective units of conservation (individual, population, species, family, habitat, etc.) and the methods used to achieve the goals of the conservation community.

Field Entomology
(BIOL 578, 3cr), Gard Otis , Steve Marshall , and Henry Wilbur
This course is an intensive upper-level undergraduate and graduate course on the ecology and diversity of insects. Students make individual insect collections and participate in group research projects demonstrating how insects can be used to address general problems in ecology and behavior. Both local and overnight field trips are an integral part of the course.

Conservation Ecology - From Genes to Ecosystems
(BIOL 460/860, 4cr), Leslie Rissler and Wendy Palen
The conservation of biodiversity requires a solid scientific foundation rooted in ecology and evolutionary biology. Conservation biology must be studied at multiple spatial and temporal scales. We will investigate the processes driving patterns of biodiversity at the gene, lineage, species, community, and ecosystem levels. We will integrate theory and methods from both ecology and genetics so that students will gain an appreciation for the diversity of new approaches and methods in modern conservation science. Lectures and debates will cover global patterns of richness and endemism, especially in amphibians and fishes, the impact of invasive species, population viability analyses, and the consequences of global climate change. Field trips will be taken to local, highly endemic regions. Students will participate in data analysis and a research project that may include GIS analyses, field or lab experiments, or literature reviews. Pre-requisites include general biology, introductory genetics, ecology, and some background in statistics. Students without these pre-requisites should contact the instructors for permission on a case-by-case basis.

Ecology of Wildlife Diseases
(BIOL 461/861, 4cr), Sonia Altizer, Dana Hawley and Amy Pedersen
This course will focus on the ecology and evolution of parasitic organisms in wild animal populations, and is designed for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Topics include: epidemiology and parasite diversity, population biology of micro- and macroparasites, host immune defenses and pathogen virulence, and the role of infectious diseases in wildlife conservation. Students will obtain hands-on experience with field and laboratory techniques, including capture and examination of insects, birds, amphibians, small mammals, and other wildlife near MLBS, and will gain experience with data analysis and quantitative methods for understanding disease processes at multiple scales.  Prerequisites are an introductory course in biology and prior coursework in calculus or linear algebra.

Biology of Fungi
(BIOL 354/854, 4cr), Rytas Vilgalys
An introduction to the fungi, with emphasis on field identification as well as current experimental methods used to study fungal genetics, ecology, and evolution. Laboratory exercises will use filamentous fungi to demonstrate methods for identification, culture techniques, breeding systems, genetic analysis, and interaction biology. Field trips will survey taxonomic diversity of fleshy fungi from diverse habitats in the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Evolution of Social Behavior
(BIOL 470/870, 4cr), Allen Moore

Biological Research
(BIOL 597, 598, 599, 1-6cr), Staff. By special arrangement.
Independent Research for graduate students pursuing degrees at the University of Virginia or for undergraduates who have made advance arrangements for study with faculty at the station. May be taken concurrently with regular courses or in conjunction with the REU Program. REUs can not take regular courses while participating in the REU program.