Contact Project Leads: Danielle M. Racke (Explore Nature By Nurture) and Dr. J. Megan Steinweg (Roanoke College); Project email: erenticks@gmail.com
Initiated: 2022
Project Status: Currently recruiting participants
Description
Urbanization and Tick Distributions Across Scales
In the past, ticks have been viewed primarily as a rural concern. However, the habitat range of ticks has been increasing over the past several decades, and ticks are known to be prevalent in urban backyards and parks, raising the prevalence of tick-borne diseases. The rapid expansion of tick ranges and human development has outpaced our understanding of tick community composition and its relationship with urbanization. Furthermore, tick and pathogen encounters have outpaced reporting to state departments of health. Thus “backyard encounters” with infected ticks are unacknowledged by state departments of health, and this limits care providers’ abilities to test patients for tick-borne diseases.
This project focuses on how urbanization, measured as impervious surface area and human population, relates to the species richness and abundance of ticks.
Hypotheses/Objectives:
Via a set of straightforward, simple, and low-cost field protocols, we aim to encourage broad participation that will allow us to investigate patterns of tick community composition at multiple scales. Furthermore, we will explore the relationships between tick communities and local urbanization-associated characteristics such as land cover type and microhabitat.
Beyond field studies, we aim to support and encourage statewide reporting of tick captures to improve the accuracy and quality of information and health care services to the public.
Summary of Methods:
Project setup
Participants sample at least two sites with different perceived levels of urbanization. Within each site, participants setup three 30-m long transects that are 5-30m apart. PIs hope to answer temporally related questions through repeated sampling of sites. However, some geographically based questions can be explored without establishing permanent sites or transects. Therefore, we encourage participants to consider sampling in local areas as well as when traveling.
- This study will ultimately assign urbanization [degrees] through GIS analysis of population size and impervious surface, so the participant need only focus on relative surroundings, aiming for “more rural” (e.g. a farm, a large forest, a backyard in a sparse town) and “more urbanized” (e.g. a backyard in or near a downtown area, an urban park, a college campus).
- Participants are encouraged to sample multiple times of the year and more than two sites (see Authorship section).
- The recommended sampling time periods are (1) Spring (March-May), (2) Summer (June -August), and (3) Fall (September-November).
In the field
Participants use a tick dragging/flagging protocol (provided) to drag the transects at each site and collect ticks into vials. Participants also collect microclimate data and GPS location using a PocketLab Weather (cost $110-170) or alternative, estimate landcover type, and estimate ground cover type (protocols provided).
In the lab
Participants identify ticks using identification keys and report their findings to PIs through a digital form (under construction). Participants have the option of submitting all ticks to PIs for identification, or reserving some ticks for future purposes. It is suggested that participants store their ticks for a period of two years to enable follow-up by PIs or health officials.
During the pilot study 2022-23, after identifying their ticks, participants are asked to submit all ticks to the lead scientists to assess % error in tick identification. This is to help us refine general tick ID information and create training materials.
Expanded Project Info.
Curriculum: Instructor materials are on the way. Stay tuned.
Other Project Materials: Access project materials via our EREN Ticks Google Drive
Publications from this project will be listed here as available.