A First Look at the Relationship Between Large Herbivore-Induced Landscape Modifications and Tick Abundance in Rewilding Sites.

While the influence of landscape and microclimatic conditions on tick populations is well-documented, there remains a gap in more specific data regarding their relationship to rewilding efforts with large herbivore activity. This pilot study, spanning from 2019 to 2021, explores the effects of naturalistic grazing by large semi-wild ungulates on tick abundance in the Milovice Reserve, Czechia. Tick collection was observed using flagging techniques at two distinct sites of rewilding area: one grazed, actively utilized by animals involved in the rewilding project, and one ungrazed, left fallow in neighboring areas utilized only by wild animals.

Postindustrial Landscapes Are Neglected Localities That May Play an Important Role in the Urban Ecology of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases-A Pilot Study.

Background: Numerous recent studies have shown that ticks and tick-borne pathogens pose a considerable threat in urban areas, such as parks, playgrounds, zoos, cemeteries, etc. Abandoned postindustrial localities, and other types of vague terrain, are other examples of urban wilderness areas that have been absolutely neglected in respect to ticks and tick-borne pathogens thus far, even though they provide ideal biotopes for ticks.

Methods: The abundance of ticks and prevalence of sensu lato spirochetes were compared between a city park and an adjacent abandoned construction waste disposal site in Prague, Czechia from June to October 2021.