Table 2 Output of the models describing the relationship between nymph density and environmental determinants including deer density, each investigating the data at a different scale: (i) observation level; (ii) transect level; and (iii) site level

Observation level

 Intercept

2.5

0.3

< 0.001

0.57

 Temperature

− 0.04

0.01

< 0.001

Transect level

 Intercept

2.2

0.2

< 0.001

0.74

 Deer density

0.01

0.008

0.003

Site level

 Intercept

20.5

5.0

0.003

0.83

 Deer density

0.02

0.01

0.04

 Temperature: humidity

0.02

0.005

0.005

 Vegetation heightM: densityL

1.0

0.9

0.3

 Vegetation heightM: densityM

− 0.5

0.8

0.6