Effect of landscape features on the relationship between Ixodes ricinus ticks and their small mammal hosts

Parasites & Vectors

Table 4 Questing I. ricinus nymph abundance as a function of the larval occurrence index and small mammal abundances

Explanatory variable	Abundance of I. ricinus questing nymphs in the spring of year t
	Spring			Autumn
	Estimate (± SE)	z-value	p	Estimate (± SE)	z-value	p
Larval occurrence index	0.182 (±0.056)	3.24	<10 ⁻³	0.151 (±0.066)	2.29	0.023
Wood mouse abundance	0.081 (±0.034)	2.41	0.011	0.031 (±0.280)	1.13	0.272
Bank vole abundance	−0.065 (±0.074)	−0.878	0.411	0.104 (±0.050)	2.09	0.028
Rodent abundance	0.047 (±0.028)	1.68	0.080	0.043 (±0.021)	1.99	0.052

The abundance of questing I. ricinus nymphs in the spring of year t was modelled using generalized linear models and a negative binomial error distribution. Explanatory variables include: the larval occurrence index in year t-1, the abundance of wood mice in year t-1, the abundance of bank voles in year t-1, and the abundance of all rodents in year t-1. Each model contains only one explanatory variable (i.e. simple regression). The slope and standard error are shown for each one-variable model. Significant estimates are in bold (p < 0.05)

ISSN: 1756-3305