Climate and tree seed production predict the abundance of the European Lyme disease vector over a 15-year period.

ABSTRACT:

Background

To predict the risk of tick-borne disease, it is critical to understand the ecological factors that determine the abundance of ticks. In Europe, the sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus) transmits a number of important diseases including Lyme borreliosis. The aim of this long-term study was to determine the abiotic and biotic factors driving the annual abundance of I. ricinus at a location in Switzerland where Lyme borreliosis is endemic.

Methods

Over a 15-year period (2004 to 2018), we monitored the abundance of I. ricinus ticks on a monthly basis at three different elevations on Chaumont Mountain in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. We collected climate variables in the field and from nearby weather stations. We obtained data on beech tree seed production from the literature, as th

SUBMITTER: Bregnard C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7418309 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature