'Spatial distribution of Ixodes ricinus in forest habitats: a comparative study of the northern and southern slopes of Mount Slavnik, Slovenia' - an article published in #ParasiteJournal by @EDPSciences on #ScienceOpen đđđ https://www.scienceopen.com/document?vid=e79590fa-5940-474a-9edb-e2d7b30031bc
#IxodesRicinus #TickBorneDiseases #ClimateChange #VectorEcology
Spatial distribution of <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> in forest habitats: a comparative study of the northern and southern slopes of Mount Slavnik, Slovenia <span class="so-article-trans-title" dir="auto"> Translated title: RĂ©partition spatiale dâ <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> dans les habitats forestiers : Ă©tude comparative des versants nord et sud du mont Slavnik, SlovĂ©nie </span>
<p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" class="first" dir="auto" id="d4156074e149">While previous studies have examined the elevational limits of <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> in Central Europe, this study is the first to investigate the influence of slope orientation on tick distribution in Slovenia. Our results provide new insights into how two important microclimatic factors, temperature and humidity, vary between the northern and southern slopes, and how these differences affect the abundance of <i>I. ricinus</i>, a factor that has not been studied in this region before. We found that nymph density was highest on the southern slope at intermediate elevations (720 m) and increased with temperature. In contrast, fewer adult ticks were found on the southern slope compared to the northern slope, most of them at 720 m elevations. The significantly higher abundance of adult ticks on the northern slope is probably related to the cooler temperatures, higher relative humidity, denser ground vegetation and greater availability of hosts such as roe deer. Although these results are regionally specific, they contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the ecological factors influencing the distribution of <i>I. ricinus</i> in Central Europe. </p><p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" class="first" dir="auto" id="d4156074e161">Des Ă©tudes antĂ©rieures ont examinĂ© les limites dâaltitude dâ <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> en Europe centrale, mais cette Ă©tude est la premiĂšre Ă examiner lâinfluence de lâorientation des pentes sur la rĂ©partition des tiques en SlovĂ©nie. Nos rĂ©sultats apportent de nouvelles informations sur la façon dont deux facteurs microclimatiques importants, la tempĂ©rature et lâhumiditĂ©, varient entre les versants nord et sud, et sur lâimpact de ces diffĂ©rences sur lâabondance dâ <i>I. ricinus</i>, un facteur qui nâavait jamais Ă©tĂ© Ă©tudiĂ© dans cette rĂ©gion auparavant. Nous avons constatĂ© que la densitĂ© de nymphes Ă©tait maximale sur le versant sud, Ă des altitudes intermĂ©diaires (720 m), et quâelle augmentait avec la tempĂ©rature. En revanche, moins de tiques adultes ont Ă©tĂ© trouvĂ©es sur le versant sud que sur le versant nord, la plupart Ă 720 m dâaltitude. Lâabondance significativement plus Ă©levĂ©e de tiques adultes sur le versant nord est probablement liĂ©e aux tempĂ©ratures plus fraĂźches, Ă une humiditĂ© relative plus Ă©levĂ©e, Ă une vĂ©gĂ©tation au sol plus dense et Ă une plus grande disponibilitĂ© dâhĂŽtes tels que les chevreuils. Bien que ces rĂ©sultats soient spĂ©cifiques Ă chaque rĂ©gion, ils contribuent Ă une comprĂ©hension plus complĂšte des facteurs Ă©cologiques influençant la distribution dâ <i>I. ricinus</i> en Europe centrale. </p>
