Predator Activity and Tick-Borne Disease Risk in Dutch Forests

A 2020 study by Tim R. Hofmeester analyzes data from 20 forest plots across the Netherlands. It measures predator activity, rodent density, tick burdens, and densities of questing and infected nymphs for three pathogens to investigate cascading effects on disease risk.

Use Cases

• Analyze correlations between predator activity (e.g., Martes martes, Mustela putorius) and larval burden on rodent species (Apodemus sylvaticus, Myodes glareolus).
• Model how rodent density and tick burden on rodents predict the density of infected nymphs (DIN) for pathogens like Borrelia afzelii and Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis.
• Conduct path analysis to test for indirect negative effects of predator species activity on the density of questing nymphs (DON).
• Compare infection risk metrics (DIN) across three tick-borne pathogens in relation to measured ecological variables from the 20 plots.

Strengths

• Data collected from 20 distinct forest plots, enabling comparative ecological analysis.
• Measures multiple interconnected variables: predator activity, rodent density, tick burdens, and pathogen-specific infection densities.
• Includes data on three specific pathogens (Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia miyamotoi, Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis) and multiple predator and host species.

Limitations

• Sample size is limited to 20 plots, which may constrain the statistical power for detecting subtle ecological relationships.
• Geographic scope is restricted to forests in the Netherlands, limiting generalizability to other ecosystems or regions.
• Data is a static snapshot from a specific study period; longitudinal trends in predator-prey-disease dynamics are not captured.

Provenance

Source

Dryad digital repository, authored by Tim R. Hofmeester.

Collection Method

Field measurements from 20 forest plots, including predator activity tracking, rodent trapping for density and tick burden counts, and pathogen testing of collected ticks.

Time Range

Study period not explicitly stated, but data published in 2020.

Freshness

Last updated in June 2020.

Geography

Forest plots across the Netherlands.