Field vehicle for ecological and evolutionary studies of plankton

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A reliable vehicle is an essential piece of equipment for field-based research in ecology and evolution. In this application we request funding for a Toyota Tundra 4x2 truck with automatic transmission to serve as a field research vehicle.  The vehicle will support research being conducted on northern and south-central Ontario lakes, including those subjected to a number of disturbances such as invading species and climate change.  Experimental studies and extensive spatial surveys of lakes will provide insights into the factors (e.g., species interactions, local environmental conditions, adaptation, and dispersal) that determine the impact of additional stressors on Canadian Shield lakes. Field and laboratory experiments will enable studies on the feedback between ecological and short-term evolutionary dynamics in freshwater zooplankton.  The proposed truck will be used to carry sampling equipment, boats, experimental apparatus, and personnel to our numerous study lakes during the summer and will be used to transport mesocosms and large quantities of water from the Queen's University Biological Station to Queen's University campus in the spring and fall.  The purchased field vehicle will allow considerable savings of research funds and will enable us to equip it with the necessary racks for transporting canoes, boats, and mesocosm frames.  Over the next 5 years, it is expected that at least 15 graduate students and 16 undergraduate students will use this truck to conduct field-based research on zooplankton communities.  Despite Canada's vast water resources, there are increasing demands being put on aquatic ecosystems that threaten their integrity.  It is critical that future scientists are trained in field-based ecology and evolution so they are capable of dealing with these large-scale, complex environmental issues.