Lawn mowing frequency in suburban areas has no detectable effect on Borrelia spp. vector Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae).
Forests have become increasingly fragmented throughout the US, with residential development serving as the primary driver of these changes. These altered landscapes have provided suitable conditions for a broad range of wildlife, including blacklegged ticks and their hosts. Lawns dominate residentia...
Main Authors: | , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2019-01-01
|
Series: | PLoS ONE |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214615 |
id |
doaj-20ee0810eeff431488d450a18e9f628b |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-20ee0810eeff431488d450a18e9f628b2021-03-03T20:45:56ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032019-01-01144e021461510.1371/journal.pone.0214615Lawn mowing frequency in suburban areas has no detectable effect on Borrelia spp. vector Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae).Susannah B LermanVincent D'AmicoForests have become increasingly fragmented throughout the US, with residential development serving as the primary driver of these changes. These altered landscapes have provided suitable conditions for a broad range of wildlife, including blacklegged ticks and their hosts. Lawns dominate residential landscapes, and thus their management has the potential to reduce the likelihood of contact with ticks in residential yards. We tested the hypothesis that lawn mowing frequency influences tick occurrence in 16 suburban yards in Springfield, MA. We conducted 144 tick drags in lawns of various lawn mowing frequencies (mowed every week, every 2-weeks and every 3-weeks) and did not collect any ticks of any species. Promoting frequent mowing (i.e., shorter lawns) and the removal of grass clippings could have minimal impacts on tick microhabitats, but is consequential for beneficial wildlife and other ecosystem services associated with urban biodiversity.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214615 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Susannah B Lerman Vincent D'Amico |
spellingShingle |
Susannah B Lerman Vincent D'Amico Lawn mowing frequency in suburban areas has no detectable effect on Borrelia spp. vector Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae). PLoS ONE |
author_facet |
Susannah B Lerman Vincent D'Amico |
author_sort |
Susannah B Lerman |
title |
Lawn mowing frequency in suburban areas has no detectable effect on Borrelia spp. vector Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae). |
title_short |
Lawn mowing frequency in suburban areas has no detectable effect on Borrelia spp. vector Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae). |
title_full |
Lawn mowing frequency in suburban areas has no detectable effect on Borrelia spp. vector Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae). |
title_fullStr |
Lawn mowing frequency in suburban areas has no detectable effect on Borrelia spp. vector Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae). |
title_full_unstemmed |
Lawn mowing frequency in suburban areas has no detectable effect on Borrelia spp. vector Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae). |
title_sort |
lawn mowing frequency in suburban areas has no detectable effect on borrelia spp. vector ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae). |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
series |
PLoS ONE |
issn |
1932-6203 |
publishDate |
2019-01-01 |
description |
Forests have become increasingly fragmented throughout the US, with residential development serving as the primary driver of these changes. These altered landscapes have provided suitable conditions for a broad range of wildlife, including blacklegged ticks and their hosts. Lawns dominate residential landscapes, and thus their management has the potential to reduce the likelihood of contact with ticks in residential yards. We tested the hypothesis that lawn mowing frequency influences tick occurrence in 16 suburban yards in Springfield, MA. We conducted 144 tick drags in lawns of various lawn mowing frequencies (mowed every week, every 2-weeks and every 3-weeks) and did not collect any ticks of any species. Promoting frequent mowing (i.e., shorter lawns) and the removal of grass clippings could have minimal impacts on tick microhabitats, but is consequential for beneficial wildlife and other ecosystem services associated with urban biodiversity. |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214615 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT susannahblerman lawnmowingfrequencyinsuburbanareashasnodetectableeffectonborreliasppvectorixodesscapularisacariixodidae AT vincentdamico lawnmowingfrequencyinsuburbanareashasnodetectableeffectonborreliasppvectorixodesscapularisacariixodidae |
_version_ |
1714820598786424832 |