Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
The effects of sampling method and vegetation type on the estimated abundance of Ixodes ricinus ticks in forests
Experimental and Applied Acarology, Volume 54, No. 3, Year 2011
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
Estimating the spatial and temporal variation in tick abundance is of great economical and ecological importance. Entire-blanket dragging is the most widely used method to sample free-living ixodid ticks. However, this technique is not equally efficient in different vegetation types. The height and structure of the vegetation under study will not only determine the likelihood of a tick-blanket contact, but will also determine the rate of dislodgement. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine whether the alternative strip-blanket is more effectively in picking up ticks than the standard entire-blanket. Sampling was carried out in four forest understory vegetation types that differed in height and structure on five collection dates between April and September 2008. A total of 8,068 Ixodes ricinus ticks was collected (778 adults, 1,920 nymphs, and 5,370 larvae). The highest numbers of ticks were collected along the forest trails, where the dominant vegetation consisted of short grasses. The lowest numbers of ticks were collected in bracken-fern-dominated sites, where the vegetation seriously hampered tick sampling. Surprisingly, in each vegetation type, significantly more nymphs and adults were collected using the entire-blanket. However, the strip-blanket was more effectively in collecting larvae, especially in dense and tall vegetation. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Authors & Co-Authors
Tack, Wesley
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Madder, Maxime
Belgium, Antwerpen
Prins Leopold Instituut Voor Tropische Geneeskunde
de Frenne, Pieter
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Vanhellemont, Margot
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Gruwez, Robert
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Verheyen, Kris
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Statistics
Citations: 43
Authors: 6
Affiliations: 2
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1007/s10493-011-9444-6
ISSN:
15729702