Duke University 2009-2010 - Office of the Registrar - Duke University

of qualified students in biology may make arrangements to carry out research here. Scholarships for advanced study
during the summer months are available through the station.
The Plant Teaching and Research Complex. Managed by Duke Biology, The Plant Teaching and Research
Complex is the core support facility for researchers using plants in the instructional and research programs for Duke
University. It plays an important role in supporting the university's objective through research, teaching, and extension.
The Plant Teaching and Research Complex is comprised of three separate facilities: The Phytotron, The
Research Greenhouse, and the Teaching Collection. These facilities are dedicated to Duke University researchers and
instructors.
The Phytotron. The Phytotron houses 44 growth chambers of varying sizes and six greenhouse units.
Environmental factors controlled in these units include light, temperature, nutrients, carbon dioxide concentration,
and humidity. Founded in 1968, the facility has a long and distinguished history of plant-controlled environment
research, and is an important tool for global change research. It supports studies ranging from individual plant to
whole ecosystem responses to changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and/or temperatures. The facility boasts
a dedicated staff with many years of experience in controlled environment research.
Research Greenhouse. The Research Greenhouse, built in 2004, is equipped with some of the latest technology
in greenhouse-controlled space. The total facility spans 12,676 square feet. This space encompasses eight growing
zones separated by airlocks, and a propagation room. Growing zones are designed to stay within a three-degree set
point.
Teaching Collection. (Temporarily housed in the Research Greenhouse.) Considered one of Duke’s hidden
gems, this diverse reference of plants is used for both research and teaching. The collection features over 1,500
labeled species hosting a variety of interesting and important genera, including aquatic, desert, tropical, temperate,
rare, and endangered species. The primary function of the plant teaching collection is to serve undergraduate teaching
at Duke University. Because of its uniqueness, this group also serves as a resource for world-renowned botanists as
well as local school groups. In addition, we protect species on the list of rare or threatened plants by vouchering
plants to other universities. For tours please contact Marcia Kirinus.
For more information on this complex, please contact Marcia Kirinus, Managerial Director or visit our Web site:
http://www.biology.duke.edu/plantfacility/.
Duke Forest. The Duke Forest comprises over 7,000 acres of land in Durham, Orange and Alamance counties and
has been managed for research and teaching purposes since 1931. The mission of the Forest is to facilitate research that
addresses fundamental and applied questions concerning forested and aquatic ecosystems and to aid in the instruction
of students so that they will be informed citizens and effective stewards of our natural resources.
The Forest lies primary near the eastern edge of the piedmont plateau and supports a cross-section of the
woodlands found in the upper coastal plain and lower piedmont of the Southeast. A variety of timber types, plant
species, soils, topography, and past land use conditions are represented. Elevations range from 260 to 760 feet above
sea level. Soils of the region are derived from such diverse parent materials as metamorphic rock of the Carolina Slate
formation, granite, Triassic sedimentary rock, and basic intrusives.
Academic use of the Duke Forest ranges from class instruction to long-term research projects, including studies
on such diverse topics as vegetation composition, landscape ecology, remote sensing, invertebrate zoology,
atmospheric science, and global climate change. Background information useful to research covers such features as
soils, topography, forest inventory, plantation and cultural records, as well as a bibliography of past and current
studies. Much of this data is available electronically in GIS (Geographic Information System) format.
In addition to leading educational tours and field laboratory exercises, Duke Forest staff are available to assist
researchers in site establishment and management. Researchers can request forest stand manipulations, such as
thinning and prescribed burning. Staff can also assist in preparing field areas through mowing, disking or planting
with in-house equipment. Location of study areas can be mapped using our Global Positioning System (GPS) unit.
All graduate students who wish to initiate research or lead class activities in the Duke Forest should contact
either Judson Edeburn, Resource Manager, or Marissa Hartzler, Program Coordinator (see contact information
below) to discuss the project. Through a simple registration process, students can gain access to all of the Forest’s
services, including maps and gate keys (for a $10 deposit).
Contact: Office of the Duke Forest, Duke University, Room 412, North Building; phone 919-613-8013; Judson
Edeburn, Resource Manager, e-mail: judeburn@duke.edu; Marissa Hartzler, Program Coordinator, e-mail:
mlm27@duke.edu; Web site: http://www.dukeforest.duke.edu/.
Morphodynamics and Coastal Processes Simulation Lab. Dr. Brad Murray’s lab includes Silicon Graphics and
LINUX computers, as well as PCs, and access to a large number of processors in a computing cluster in Colorado. Along
with students, postdocs, undergraduate assistants, and visiting scholars, Murray uses these machines chiefly for
developing and running numerical models of Earth surface processes. Experiments with relatively simple models
address the evolution and response to climate change of an array of environments, including sandy and rocky coastlines,
nearshore seabeds, coastal marshes, surf zones, rivers, deltas, desert sand dunes, arid landscapes, and patterned arctic
permafrost. Interactions between physical landscape forming processes and biological processes, including humans,
take center stage in several of these efforts. Field observations play a key role in motivating and testing these theoretical
Resources for Study 237