Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Our long-term research program on the ecology, evolution and conservation of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) urgently requires a four-wheel-drive truck with a fiberglass canopy, a covered trailer and a four-wheel-drive all-terrain vehicle (ATV). This field equipment is essential to continue collecting biological and environmental data at our remote study site at Ram Mountain, Alberta. To achieve the objectives of our research program, we need highly detailed information on genotypes, phenotypes, population size and composition over several years. We therefore need to carry out long-term monitoring of populations in which all individuals are recognizable. The long-term monitoring of the Ram Mountain population, in which over 1100 bighorn sheep have been individually marked and followed from birth to death since 1971, is internationally recognized for its importance both for fundamental evolutionary ecology and for conservation. The truck, all-terrain vehicle and trailer are essential to our research program, as access to the site is the basis for field sampling. Since 2017, our research at Ram Mountain has resulted in over 40 refereed articles, multiple Canadian and international collaborations, and the training of 13 highly qualified personnel. Long-term individual studies will continue to enable major advances in our understanding of wildlife ecology. However, without access to our study site with safe equipment we cannot continue our research. The requested vehicles will play an irreplaceable role in our research programs, including the training of highly qualified personnel.