Corson Hall, which was built to the Department's specifications in 1982, is equipped with modern greenhouses, bioclimatic chambers, animal rooms, aquaria, and shops. The computers within the building are networked to a variety of peripherals and gateways to Cornell's mainframe and super-computers. There is a large inventory of modern instruments available within the Department for the study of biogeochemistry, molecular evolution, functional morphology and morphometrics, chemical ecology, and metabolism. The Department also maintains a diverse array of field equipment including small tractors, boats, sampling gear, and field vehicles. The presence on campus of the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research provides members of the Department with access to an extensive network of information and facilities that are critical in modern investigations of ecology and evolution. For instance, it is easy to arrange for the Office of Farm Services to use its diverse stock of heavy equipment to set up and maintain large-scale field experiments. There are also services available for the identification of insects and plant pathogens, analysis of nutrients in plants and soils, diagnosis and treatment of wildlife diseases, and isozyme analysis. The Center for the Environment coordinates several interdisciplinary programs (including groups working on biogeochemistry, chemical ecology, environmental applications of remote sensing, and environmental policy) of importance to members of the Department. The staff and facilities at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology augment the Department's work on birds. Cornell's Mann Library houses one of the nation's leading collections of books and periodicals on agriculture, biology, natural resources, and environmental policy. Cornell also has extensive biological collections.

Cornell University, located in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, provides exceptional opportunities for local field investigations. The Department manages a research field facility located on Turkey Hill Road. This facility is equipped with drying ovens, freezers, and cold rooms. It is primarily used to process plant and soil materials. Cornell also maintains 3500 acres of biologically diverse natural areas including bogs, fens, gorges, glens, meadows, and woodlands. These ecologically fragile areas are protected for research and education. The 16,118 acre Finger Lakes National Forest and thousands of acres of New York State wildlands are within a 30-minute drive from campus. Farther afield, Cornell University has laboratories in the Adirondack Mountains and at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire.

The Department also has excellent facilities for research and instruction in aquatic ecosystems. The Cornell Research Ponds contain 91 artificial ponds with controlled water levels where replicated field experiments can be carried out. Ithaca lies at the southern end of Cayuga Lake, which is 38 miles long and 435 ft. deep. In addition, many ecological investigations are carried out at Cornell's Biological Field Station at Shackelton Point on Oneida Lake, about 60 miles north of campus. Our marine laboratory is located on the Isles of Shoals off the New Hampshire coast and members of the Department have active affiliations with several other marine stations throughout the world (e.g., Friday Harbor Laboratories and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution).

Cornell's membership in the Organization for Tropical Studies, based in Costa Rica, provides the Department with access to well-equipped field stations in a variety of tropical habitats. Members of the Department regularly participate in the advanced courses on tropical biology and agricultural ecology that are offered by OTS.