The Archbold Biological Station (ABS) is a research institute with a surrounding estate near

Lake Placid, Florida Lake Placid is a town in Highlands County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 2,223 and in 2018 the estimated population was 2,439. It is part of the Sebring Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town has two nicknam ...

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

. It includes an extensive area of

Florida scrub Florida sand pine scrub is an endangered subtropical forest ecoregion found throughout Florida in the United States. It is found on coastal and inland sand ridges and is characterized by an evergreen xeromorphic plant community dominated by shrub ...

, a scientifically interesting and highly threatened

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syst ...

. It was established in 1941 by

Richard Archbold Richard Archbold (April 9, 1907 – August 1, 1976) was an American zoologist and philanthropist. He was independently wealthy, being the grandson of the capitalist John Dustin Archbold. He was educated at private schools, and later attended cla ...

when his sponsorship of zoological research in

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torres ...

was curtailed by the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

in the Pacific region. The Station supports 19 federally listed threatened species, including the Sand Skink ('' Neoseps reynoldsi'') and 13 endemic plant species. It is a venue for field research and education, as well as ranching. The station and grounds are open to visitors, who must register at the main office. There are some displays about the property and its history, a video about the biodiversity and conservation of the

Lake Wales Ridge The Lake Wales Ridge, sometimes referred to as the Mid-Florida Ridge,Eastern States Archaeological Federation. ''Archaeology of Eastern North America, Volume 11'', p. 54 is a sand ridge running for about 150 miles south to north in Central Florida. ...

, a 1/2 mile nature trail and picnic tables. Nature and environmental education programs are offered for schools, adults and specialty groups. On July 20, 2007, the station was added to the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. Archbold acquired the initial land for the biological research station through his friend Donald Roebling from his father, John A. Roebling II. Subsequently, additional land was purchased.

Climate

The climate of Archbold Biological Station is classified as

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Cfa''), with hot, humid summers and warm, drier winters. Its inland location on the well-drained sandy soil of the

allows for high

diurnal temperature variation In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day. Temperature lag Temperature lag is an important factor in diurnal temperature variation: peak da ...

. The record high and record low are and , recorded on July 4, 1998, and January 5, 2001, respectively.

References

Bibliography

External links

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Archbold Biological Station
1941 establishments in Florida Biological research institutes in the United States Buildings and structures in Highlands County, Florida National Natural Landmarks in Florida Nature reserves in Florida National Register of Historic Places in Highlands County, Florida Research institutes in Florida Biological stations Protected areas of Highlands County, Florida Nature centers in Florida Education in Highlands County, Florida {{biology-org-stub