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Table 1 Variability of methods used in tick research to correlate tick and meteorological data

From: On the complexity of measuring forests microclimate and interpreting its relevance in habitat ecology: the example of Ixodes ricinus ticks

Source

No. of study sites (ticks)

No. of study sites (weather)

Origin of weather data

Origin description

Parameters measured

Height of sensors

Measurement frequency

Weather data (raw data)

Weather data (used in analysis)

[4]

13

13

Measured at study site

Study site (forest)

Ta, Ts, RH

1 m, ground-level, soil-level (Ts)

February-December 2011; single measurement before tick sampling

Point data, 1/month

= raw data

13

12

Official meteorological stations

Nearby

Ta, RH, prec

n.i.

Continuous measurement

Daily means

Mean of 3 days before sampling

[5]

5

5

Measured at study site

Study site (forest)

Ta, RH, soil water content

5 cm above soil surface (Ta, RH)

May-November 2003; single measurement/weekly

Point data, 1/week

= raw data

5

1

Meteorological station

Close to the study site

detailed climate data

n.i.

n.i.

n.i.

n.i.

[6]

6

1

Measured at study site

study site (forest)

Ta, RH

1 cm above soil surface (Ta, RH)

March-November 2001–2006; on each visit

Point data (09:00, 10:00 and 11:00 h)

= raw data

1

1

Meteorological station

Nearby

n.i.

n.i.

n.i.

n.i.

n.i.

[7]

3

2

Official meteorological stations

1 km to highest/lowest study site

Ta, altitude

n.i.

1999–2001 continuous measurement

n.i.

Annual means

[8]

1

1

Meteorological station “Mendeleum”

5 km distance at Lednice

Ta, Ts, RH

1.5 m (Ta, RH), -5 cm (Ts)

1989–2001 continuous measurement

Point data, of the 41 days of tick sampling

Daily min/max values (Ta), Ta, Ts and RH at 7:00 and 14:00 h

[9]

1

1

Automatic station

Located in Neuchatel, 500 m distance

Ta, RH, SD

n.i.

1996–1998 continuous measurement

SD and daily max/ average Ta recorded for each day as a 30-day moving average

Monthly mean of SD, Ta, RH; 5 day mean of Ta (max); means of 29, 16, 9 and 4 days before sampling

[10]

7

n.i.

Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia

Cities close to sampling sites

Ta, RH, SD

n.i.

n.i.

Daily min/max (Ta), daily point data (RH at 07:00 h), SD calculated from Ta and RH at 07:00 h

7-day means of Ta min/max (4 sites) daily/weekly means (Ta), RH (sampling day and one week prior), 7-day mean (SD, week prior to sampling)

  1. Abbreviations: prec precipitation, Ta air temperature, Ts soil temperature, RH relative humidity, SD saturation deficit, n.i. no further information given