POPULATION REGULATION OF THE DEER TICK, IXODES DAMMINI

莱姆病是影响人类的最普遍的媒介传播疾病， 该项目旨在开发一种基本的 对鹿硬蜱种群生态学的认识， 在莱姆病肆虐的纽约州南部， 疾病已成为流行病。 我们打算提供良好的生态基础 为了更好地了解和控制蜱虫种群， 莱姆病的传播媒介。 我们将使用新的方法来确定 l的绝对密度dammini种群在实地研究地点。 这些 估计数将成为校准蜱虫采样准确性的基础 方法. 宿主动物检查的准确性，二氧化碳诱饵 蜱虫诱捕器和曳布采样方法将在现场确定 研究不同蜱虫密度的地点。 我们将探索自然 人口调控在L。dammini通过比较一个既定的人口 稳定了增长率， 已建立，并仍在增加。 我们将构建一个生命表 每个湖dammini人口和确定死亡率的所有 活跃阶段。 调节L.达米尼. 将通过区分非宿主死亡率和 宿主死亡率 环境因素导致的死亡率， 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。 蜱虫喂食， 蜕皮成功将被用来调查宿主死亡率， 有助于理解宿主免疫在调节L. 自然界中的dammini种群。 因此，我们将确定 自然死亡率，可以利用人工降低密度 乳dammini种群和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.