Impact of forest type on blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) abundance
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Issue Date
2025-03-31
Authors
Kocherzat, Natalie
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First Reader
Venesky, Matthew D.
Additional Readers
Demi, Lee M.
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Abstract
Forests can vary in composition both within themselves and between other forests. These variations include forest stand and age, tree and understory vegetation species, microclimate, size, and environmental heterogeneity. Differences in these features can lead to variations in animal communities within the forest due to changes in food/resource abundance and shelter availability. Vertebrate populations can vary in abundance due to forest size and food availability/understory growth. Habitat suitability and host availability are two important factors that drive a tick’s ability to survive, and both of these factors can change with forest age, vegetation, and density. As such, tick abundance can also vary with shifts in forest features. This project investigated how microclimate variables, and vegetation density and richness impact the abundance of the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis). Additionally, it was explored how tick abundance changes over the seasons . To conduct this study, six 75x10 meter plots were set up in forested areas that appear visually unique in their vegetation composition. Each site was inventoried by looking at canopy cover, understory vegetation richness and density, leaf litter depth, ground cover, and abiotic variables. Each plot was also dragged for ticks to see how tick density may relate to variations in the aforementioned variables. After running the biotic variables through a principal component analysis, total and larval tick abundances were found to significantly decrease as tree density and richness increased. Additionally, there were trends in the data suggesting a positive correlation between tick abundance and relative humidity and air temperature, and a negative correlation between tick abundance and sampling date. Microclimate variables, which are largely driven by vegetation composition influence tick abundance suggesting that forest variation is important, but not the strongest predictor of tick abundance.
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Biology
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Biology
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Biology, 2025