Why feeding success could differ among host species
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?
