All-terrain vehicle for use at the Sable Island field site - McLoughlin lab in population ecology

所要求的资金将为我对新斯科舍省塞布尔岛野马的个人研究工作提供必要的设备支持。这项长期（30年以上）的研究将进入第五个年头，包括我在动物生态学和进化的整体研究计划的基石。我的计划已经扩大了紫貂，现在需要两个，两人小组定期抽样约450匹马的位置，行为，形态和生物样本。塞布尔岛长42公里：该提案旨在购买一辆6 × 4全地形John Deere Gator多功能车，用于沿着岛上的海滩运送研究人员。我们目前有一个使用的交通工具，可以携带两个人。我的研究计划的扩展，以容纳更多的学生需要额外的交通能力。然而，更重要的是，我们目前的车辆存在一个未解决的发动机压缩问题，去年几乎取消了我们的实地考察季节，这引起了人们对我的计划在运输问题上的脆弱性的关注（每年只有一次能力将车辆运回大陆进行大修）。在损失的情况下缺乏后备车辆将不仅不利于当前学生的成功，也不利于未来的学生，他们都受益于多年来收集的关于马的血统和生活史的数据。要证明John Deere Gator是我在Sable Island工作的最佳车辆很容易：Gator是迄今为止学生使用的最安全的全地形车辆，Sable Island Station的工作人员强烈推荐它们作为可靠的机器。鳄鱼有一个广泛的轴距，最高速度限制在30公里/小时，低压，高浮力轮胎结合差速锁，是完美的海滩旅行。Sable Island上的条件可能很严峻，致盲，风吹的沙子，海雾和雨水是一个特别的问题（即使有护目镜）;因此，绝对有必要为操作员提供一些封闭空间（驾驶室）。John Deere为此提供出租车。NSERC对我的项目的持续投资将加快我的研究生产力和培养高素质人才的能力。

Requested funds will provide essential equipment support for my work on the individual-based study of the feral horses of Sable Island, Nova Scotia. This long-term (30+ year) study will be entering its fifth year and comprises the cornerstone of my overall research program in animal ecology and evolution. My program has expanded on Sable and now requires two, two-person teams to regularly sample ~450 horses for locations, behaviour, morphology, and biological samples. Sable Island is 42 km long: this proposal is directed at the purchase of a 6 × 4 all-terrain John Deere Gator utility vehicle for transporting researchers along the island's beaches. We currently have one used transport that can carry two persons. Expansion of my research program to accommodate more students requires additional capacity for transportation. More importantly, however, an unresolved engine compression problem in our current vehicle very nearly cancelled our field season last year, drawing attention to the vulnerability of my program to transportation problems (there is only once-a-year capacity to move vehicles back to the mainland for major repairs). Lack of a back-up vehicle in the event of a loss would be detrimental to the success of not just current students, but also future students who all benefit from years of previously collected data on pedigrees and life histories of horses without interruption. Making the case that the John Deere Gator is the best vehicle for my work on Sable Island is easy: Gators are by far the safest all-terrain vehicles for students to use and they come highly recommended as reliable machines by staff at Sable Island Station. Gators have a wide wheel base, maximum speeds limited to 30 km/h, and low-pressure, high-flotation tires combined with differential lock that are perfect for beach travel. Conditions can be severe on Sable Island, with blinding, wind-driven sand, sea mist, and rain being a particular problem (even with goggles); hence, it is absolutely necessary that there be some enclosure (a cab) for operators. John Deere provides cabs just for this purpose. NSERC's continued investment in my program will accelerate my research productivity and capacity to train highly qualified personnel.