Field vehicle for ecological and evolutionary studies of plankton

可靠的交通工具是野外生态学和进化研究必不可少的设备。在此申请中，我们请求资助一辆丰田Tundra 4x2自动变速器卡车作为实地研究车辆。该车辆将支持对安大略省北部和中南部湖泊进行的研究，包括那些受到入侵物种和气候变化等一系列干扰的湖泊。实验研究和广泛的湖泊空间调查将提供对决定附加压力源对加拿大盾湖影响的因素（例如，物种相互作用、当地环境条件、适应和扩散）的见解。野外和实验室实验将使研究淡水浮游动物生态和短期进化动态之间的反馈成为可能。拟建的卡车将在夏季将采样设备、船只、实验仪器和人员运送到我们众多的研究湖泊，并在春季和秋季将中生态系统和大量的水从女王大学生物站运送到女王大学校园。购买的实地车辆将节省大量研究经费，并使我们能够为其配备运输独木舟、船只和mesocosm框架所需的机架。在接下来的5年里，预计至少有15名研究生和16名本科生将使用这辆卡车对浮游动物群落进行实地研究。尽管加拿大拥有丰富的水资源，但对水生生态系统的需求日益增加，威胁到它们的完整性。至关重要的是，未来的科学家应该接受实地生态学和进化方面的培训，这样他们就有能力处理这些大规模、复杂的环境问题。

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.