For questions 1 & 2, examine Figure 1, which shows the proportion of larval black-legged ticks that were able to successfully feed on each of the different host species.
Figure 1.
1. What are possible reasons why feeding success could differ among host species?
2. Based on this information, what are options to minimize the abundance of larval ticks?
For questions 3-7, examine Figure 2, which shows both the percentage of black-legged tick larvae that become infected with the Lyme disease bacterium after feeding on each host animal, as well as the number of tick larvae those animals feed.
Figure 2.
3. Which host species feed the most larvae per hectare?
4. Which host species feed the least larvae per hectare?
5. On which host species does the highest infection rate occur?
6. On which host species does the lowest infection rate occur?
7. How would you classify these species in terms of reservoir competence? Which are the least and most competent reservoirs?
Forest fragmentation is when small patches of forest remain after a larger forest is cleared away. Figure 3.
For example, MSU’s campus has several small patches of fragmented forest, as shown in Figure 3.
Forest fragmentation impacts populations of white-footed mice, which are an important host species for black-legged ticks. Figure 4 shows the relationship between forest patch size (in hectares, ha) and density of white-footed mice. For questions 8 & 9, refer to Figure 4.
Figure 4.
8. Describe the relationship between mouse density and forest patch size.
9. What is a possible explanation for this pattern?
For question 10, refer to Figure 5 below. Figure 5 shows the density of black-legged tick larvae (Panel A) and nymphs (Panel B) as measured in forest patches of differing sizes.
Figure 5.
10. How is the density of nymphs and larvae related to forest patch size?
For question 11, summarize the main message or conclusion that we can make from these data.
11. What can we conclude about the relationship between forest fragmentation and the chance of encountering a black-legged tick?
The agents of this change manifest themselves in the forms of Krogstad and Sandip who are representatives of the external world. Each of the men transgress the boundary between the domestic household and the world outside it. Sandip’s introduction to Bimala is a markedly intrusive one as he takes up a place in her home and complicates her marriage to Nikhil “it vexed me to think that he was imposing on my husband.” (30). It is at this point that Bimala’s concerns surrounding her role as a dutiful wife begin to shift. This is because she becomes conscious of, and participates within, the ideological debate occurring in Bengal. Sandip’s nationalist ideology is infectious, forcing Bimala to turn her gaze outwards, away from her household. This change can be traced in her newfound concerns surrounding how Sandip perceives her “would Sandip Babu find the Shakti of the motherland manifest in me? Or would he simply take me to be an ordinary, domestic woman?” (33). Indeed, Bimala’s emphasis on the monotony associated with being housewife shows a noticeable departure from her earlier contentment within the role. It is logical to infer that the boundaries between Bimala and the outside world have been breached, pushing her towards engagement with the explosive politics of her country. Rahul Rao expands on Bimala’s newfound position by stating that her complicated relationship with Nikhil and Sandip is “a metaphor for the relative attractions of cosmopolitanism and nationalism as seen from the vantage point of a nation attempting to wrest its freedom from imperial rule.” (112). Indeed, Rao’s point is significant in highlighting the importance ascribed to Bimala within the context of the ideological debate. Where she was previously disconnected with the space beyond her household, she now assumes the role of Bengal itself and struggles to decide on the means of her liberation. It is crucial to remark upon the rapid and uncompromising nature of this change. This is because it illuminates the fragility of the domestic space and its propensity for invasion “We had no time to think