Using citizen science to understand how forest management impacts ticks and tick-borne pathogens

Tick-borne disease rates are increasing across large portions of the United States in part due to the range expansion and population increase of the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis). Ixodes scapularis is primarily associated with forests and forest edges, which provides ideal microclimate conditions and host availability necessary for tick survival and reproduction. Although research has examined how habitat features influence ticks and tick-borne pathogens, little work has studied the impact of forest management on ticks. The state of Maine has the highest incidence rate of Lyme disease in the country and is 90% forested, and in southern Maine in particular, much of these woodlands are owned and managed by family forest landowners.This area’s high rate of private forest ownership and emerging rates of tick-borne diseases makes it an ideal location to study how forest management impacts ticks. Forest landowners manage their land in a variety of ways related to timber harvesting, invasive plant removal, and wildlife management.  Over a two-year period, we recruited over 300 citizen scientist landowners in southern Maine to actively collect ticks from their wooded properties using drag sampling and provide biophysical information about their forests. Initial results show that timber harvests within the past twenty years led to decreased I. scapularis populations and presence of invasive plants were correlated with larger I. scapularis populations. These initial results demonstrate the effectiveness of using citizen scientists in active tick surveillance and suggest forest management may be a useful tool to reduce the risk of tick-borne illnesses.