Titre du document / Document title

Deer browsing and the distribution of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in central New Jersey Forests

Auteur(s) / Author(s)

JORDAN Robert A. ; SCHULZE Terry L. ⁽¹⁾ ;

Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)

⁽¹⁾ Division of Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, PO Box 369, Trenton, NJ 08625, ETATS-UNIS

Résumé / Abstract

We examined the effects of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman) browsing on the abundance of the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis Say) in forested habitats. We estimated abundance of all active stages and recorded habitat variables at two heavily browsed and two control forest areas over 3 yr. Numbers of questing ticks varied significantly between years and between study areas in different years, but neither habitat structure nor tick abundance differed significantly between heavily browsed and control forests. Principal components analysis of habitat variables accounted for 73.4% of the variance in the data set, and tick abundance was directly related to shrub cover and leaf litter depth. However, regression analysis showed no relationship between tick numbers and browse damage. Whereas deer pellet count density was positively correlated with levels of deer browse damage, neither was related to numbers of host-seeking adult ticks. Foraging deer did not disturb the leaf litter and, even at park areas with nearly one-half of shrub stems browsed back, did not seem to alter forest vegetation in a way to affect tick habitats in the understory and shrub layers. In suburban landscapes, deer activity in, and consequently the relative likelihood of introducing ticks into, edge and interior habitats is likely to be very similar and may account for the lack of a detectable relationship between numbers of questing ticks and distance to ecotonal edges observed here.

Revue / Journal Title

Environmental entomology   ISSN 0046-225X   CODEN EVETBX 

Source / Source

2005, vol. 34, n^o4, pp. 801-806 [6 page(s) (article)] (34 ref.)

Langue / Language

Anglais

Editeur / Publisher

Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD, ETATS-UNIS  (1972) (Revue)

Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords

Vertebrata ; Mammalia ; Ungulata ; Artiodactyla ; Invertebrata ; Arthropoda ; Arachnida ; Acari ; Parasitiformes ; Ixodida ; Ixodidae ; Population dynamics ; Parasite ; America ; North America ; United States ; Odocoileus virginianus ; Ixodes scapularis ; New Jersey ; Forests ; Ectoparasite ; Population density ; Host ; Herbivorous ; Browsing ;

Mots-clés français / French Keywords

Vertebrata ; Mammalia ; Ungulata ; Artiodactyla ; Invertebrata ; Arthropoda ; Arachnida ; Acari ; Parasitiformes ; Ixodida ; Ixodidae ; Dynamique population ; Parasite ; Amérique ; Amérique du Nord ; Etats Unis ; Odocoileus virginianus ; Ixodes scapularis ; New Jersey ; Forêt ; Ectoparasite ; Densité population ; Hôte ; Herbivore ; Broutage animal ;

Mots-clés espagnols / Spanish Keywords

Vertebrata ; Mammalia ; Ungulata ; Artiodactyla ; Invertebrata ; Arthropoda ; Arachnida ; Acari ; Parasitiformes ; Ixodida ; Ixodidae ; Dinámica población ; Parásito ; America ; America del norte ; Estados Unidos ; Odocoileus virginianus ; Ixodes scapularis ; New Jersey ; Bosque ; Ectoparásito ; Densidad población ; Huesped ; Herbívoro ; Pacedura ;

Mots-clés d'auteur / Author Keywords

Ixodes scapularis ; deer browse ; habitat ;

Localisation / Location

INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 15465, 35400013150421.0090