Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

I am requesting financial support from NSERC to purchase an all-terrain vehicle (John Deere Gator) and a water container/spraying setup to support field experiments that will illuminate the consequences of Global Climate Change (GCC) for plant reproduction and evolution. The vehicle will be used to move large volumes of water (120 gallons per trip), equipment, and researchers between distantly spaced experimental plots located at the University of Toronto's Koffler's Research Station (KRS). Though KRS is a vibrant research facility, the low density of roads makes much of the associated land less accessible to experimental field researchers. This vehicle is fundamental to the initial set up and maintenance of planned experiments. Mating systems strongly influence rates of evolution via the organization of genetic diversity within and among populations. Outcrossing rates can vary widely among populations within species and among individuals within populations, with evidence accruing that climate may alter outcrossing rates. If GCC was to cause lasting changes in plant mating systems, we expect significant ecological and evolutionary effects via changes in the distribution of population genetic diversity. Yet, I am unaware of studies evaluating plant mating system plasticity in the context of GCC. New insights in this field could also have long-term impact on conservation planning, agricultural crop breeding and invasive species control. ) I expect to supervise 6 graduate students and 5 undergraduates over the next five years. Thus, the number of HQP that will use this vehicle for plant evolutionary ecology research is substantial and will grow quickly, once potential uses for the vehicle are discovered by other researchers at KSR. The purchase of this vehicle is necessary for Lesley Campbell's research program and will significantly increase the potential use of the land at Joker's Hill. This will directly contribute to the training of young Canadian scientists at undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels.