Beech tree masting explains the inter-annual variation in the fall and spring peaks of Ixodes ricinus ticks with different time lags

Table 4 Mean size of the spring and fall peaks of I. ricinus nymphs for the four elevation sites on Chaumont Mountain

The size of the spring peak and the fall peak of I. ricinus nymphs are shown for each of the four elevation sites on Chaumont Mountain. To compare the size of the cumulative spring peak (CSP) and the cumulative fall peak (CFP), we integrated the area under the curve of the seasonal phenology of the DON (per 100 m²) from 1 January to 31 August (CSP), and from 1 September to 31 December (CFP), respectively. The interpretation of the CSP and CFP are the numbers of I. ricinus nymphs that would have been captured if we had sampled for ticks every day over the corresponding calendar dates. For the CSP and the CFP, the sample size (N = 15 years), mean, standard deviation (StdDev), and range are shown. A second estimate of the cumulative nymphal density (CND2) was calculated by summing the CSP and the CFP. To express the two peaks as a percentage, the CSP and the CFP were each divided by the CND2

ISSN: 1756-3305