POPULATION REGULATION OF THE DEER TICK, IXODES DAMMINI

莱姆病是影响人类的最流行的媒介传播疾病。 这个项目的目的是开发一种基本的 马鹿硬蜱种群生态的研究 调节纽约州南部人口的因素，莱姆在那里 疾病已成为流行病。我们打算提供良好的生态基础 用于改进了解和控制扁虱种群的努力 莱姆病的病媒。我们将使用新的方法来确定 田野研究地点丹顶杉种群的绝对密度。这些 估算值将成为校准滴虫抽样准确性的基础 方法：研究方法。以二氧化碳为诱饵的宿主动物检验的准确性 现场将确定捕蝇器和拖布的取样方法 研究地点具有不同的扁虱密度。我们将探索自然 通过比较已建立的种群对丹密乳杆菌种群的调节 这稳定了它的增长速度，因为它最近才成为 已经确立，而且仍在增加。我们将构建一张生命表， 并测定所有种群的死亡率。 活跃的阶段。调节黄花乳杆菌丰度的主要因素 每个地点将通过区分无宿主死亡率和 寄主死亡率。因环境因素造成的死亡率，如 温度和湿度，以及捕食者、寄生虫和病原体 将作为非宿主死亡的来源进行调查。扁虱的饲养和 换羽成功将被用来调查寄主死亡率和 有助于理解宿主免疫在调节L中的作用。 自然界中最小的种群。因此，我们将确定重要的来源 自然死亡率可以被利用来人为地降低密度 以及莱姆病对人类的风险。

Lyme disease is the most prevalent vector-borne disease affecting human health in the U.S. This project is designed to develop a basic understanding of the population ecology of the deer tick lxodes dammini and factors that regulate the population in southern New York State where Lyme disease has become epidemic. We intend to provide sound ecological basis for improved efforts to understand and control populations of the tick vector of Lyme disease. We will use novel approaches to determine the absolute density of l. dammini populations at field study sites. These estimates will form a basis for calibrating the accuracy of tick sampling methods. The accuracy of host animal examinations, carbon-dioxide-baited tick traps, and drag cloth sampling methods will be determined in field study sites with varying tick densities. We will explore natural population regulation in l. dammini by comparing an established population that has stabilized its growth rate with one that has only recently become established and is still increasing. We will construct a life table for each l. dammini population and determine the rates of mortality for all active stages. The major factors regulating the abundance of l. dammini at each site will be examined by distinguishing off-host mortality from on-host mortality. Mortality due to environmental factors such as temperature and humidity, as well as predators, parasites, and pathogens will be investigated as sources of off-host mortality. Tick feeding and molting success will be used to investigate on-host mortality and will contribute toward understanding the role of host immunity in regulating l. dammini populations in nature. Thus, we will identify important sources of natural mortality that can be exploited to artificially reduce the density of l. dammini populations and the risk of Lyme disease to humans.