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The Effects of Urbanization on Tick Parasitism Rates in Birds of Southeastern Virginia" (2015)

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The Effects of Urbanization on Tick Parasitism Rates in Birds of Southeastern Virginia Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations Biological Sciences Fall 2015 The ffecE ts of Urbanization on Tick Parasitism Rates in Birds of Southeastern Virginia Erin Leigh Heller Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.odu.edu/biology_etds Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Ornithology Commons Recommended Citation Heller, Erin Leigh, "The Effects of Urbanization on Tick Parasitism Rates in Birds of Southeastern Virginia" (2015). Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations. Paper 6. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Biological Sciences at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE EFFECTS OF URBANIZATION ON TICK PARASITISM RATES IN BIRDS OF SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA by Erin L. Heller B.S. May 2011, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE BIOLOGY OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY December 2015 Approved By: ______________________________________ Dr. Eric L. Walters (Director) ______________________________________ Dr. Holly D. Gaff (Member) ______________________________________ Dr. R. Jory Brinkerhoff (Member) ABSTRACT THE EFFECTS OF URBANIZATION ON TICK PARASITISM RATES IN BIRDS OF SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA Erin L. Heller Old Dominion University, 2015 Director: Dr. Eric L. Walters The coastal region of southeastern Virginia is one of the largest urban areas along one of North America’s migratory flyways. Because hundreds of avian species use this flyway, understanding factors affecting birds and their health is of paramount concern. Within this region, 14 species of ticks have been documented, all of which may serve as vectors of mammal (including human) pathogens. By sampling birds at sites of varying levels of urbanization within the coastal southeastern urban matrix, I studied the relationship between ticks and their avian hosts, and how this relationship varies seasonally. Mistnets were set-up at five permanent sites and six ad-hoc sites between August 2012 and August 2014 to sample ticks from both migratory and resident birds. During this time, 1886 birds were sampled, and 943 ticks were collected from avian hosts. These ticks were later identified to species in order to determine species-specific avian hosts. Field sites were ranked qualitatively and then quantitatively using national land cover data and ArcGIS in order to determine how urban each site was relative to others; the proportion of birds with ticks was greater at less urbanized (more rural) sites. Percent impervious surface and season played an important role in predicting tick parasitism rates, as did bird life history traits, such as foraging and nesting behavior. The most common life stage and tick species collected from birds were larval rabbit ticks (Haemaphysalis leporispalustris), followed by larval bird ticks (Ixodes brunneus). This study demonstrates how levels of urbanization can influence tick parasitism rates on birds and increases knowledge of the corresponding relationship between urbanization and disease prevalence, which ultimately could affect human health risks. Copyright 2015 by Erin L. Heller. All rights reserved. iv My thesis is dedicated to my grandmother, Margaret “Grams” Kaiser. She instilled in me my love for nature and more specifically my fascination with birds. Her wonder for the world around her and her compassion for its creatures are traits that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to my advisor, Dr. Eric L. Walters, for encouraging me to pursue my interests in avian ecology and for working with me to learn about the world of tick biology. Learning to band birds with the utmost care for their health and safety is a skill I will take with me throughout my life, both in academia and out, and I am very thankful for everything he has taught me during the past three years. I also would like to express my sincere appreciation for his thorough efforts in the editing and revision processes of my thesis. Additional thanks are extended to my committee members, Dr. Holly D. Gaff and Dr. R. Jory Brinkerhoff, for all of their time and advice. Dr. Gaff has spent countless hours in the field with me and in the lab looking at ticks under microscopes. Without her assistance, I surely would not be where I am today, and Dr. Brinkerhoff has provided his expertise in bird-tick interactions. I would like to thank Weyanoke Wildlife Sanctuary, Paradise Creek Nature Park, Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve, The Nature Conservancy, and the Virginia Zoo for allowing me to conduct research on their properties. In particular Randi Strutton, Helen Kuhns, Joe Rieger, David Koubsky, Mike Shoen, Linda Cameron, and Roger Sweeney were all instrumental in providing me access to various sites. I also thank Dr. Hynes and Dr. Gauthier and all of the graduate students and field assistants in the Walters lab, the Gaff lab, and the Hynes lab who helped make this project possible, specifically Natasha Hagemeyer, Lindsey Bidder, Robyn Nadolny, Pam Kelman, Chelsea Wright, Dorothy Paine, Alexis White, Annie Sabo, Ally Lahey, Amy vi Johnson, Tyler Chavers, Noel Brightwell, Jessica Vincent, Paul Dawson, Jessica Asfari, Cathy Roberts, David Swisher, Michael Bailey, Sean Millman, Terisha Dunn, Tomeka Bandy, Elena Flicken, Maggie McDonald, Michael Goddard, Adrienne Ashby, and any others I may be missing. More specifically, Natasha trained me to mistnet and band birds safely; Lindsey was invaluable in assisting me with my GIS work; Robyn spent many early mornings with me fighting off mosquitoes and horse flies while waiting for birds to fly into the nets; Chelsea ran all of the PCR analyses; and everyone else assisted with field work or data entry. Daniel Vanselow and Benjamin Augustine assisted me in an R crash-course and were immensely helpful. Additional thanks are extended to George McLeod for assisting me further with GIS work. Old Dominion University's Research for Undergraduates in Math and Sciences program (RUMS) provided undergraduate assistance throughout my field work as well. Mike Aherron from the Department of Forestry, David Cutherell from ODU, Sarah Sumoski from Paradise Creek Nature Park, and The Virginia Aquatic Resources Trust Fund through The Nature Conservancy and Barney Environmental provided me with invaluable information on the vegetation at various sites. Finally, a huge thanks goes to the agencies that helped fund my study, including: Old Dominion University, the Virginia Academy of Science, the Virginia Society of Ornithology, and ODU’s Alumni Association. I would like to thank my father, mother, and brother who all have been incredibly supportive of my endeavors in graduate school. They have provided me with unconditional love and patience throughout my graduate school adventure and helped keep me sane when the going got tough. A huge thanks goes to Olivia Soska. vii Her support and unwavering desire to assist me in any way possible are unmatched and greatly appreciated. Additional thanks are extended to the wonderful friends I have made in Norfolk, especially my graduate student family at ODU, and to all of my friends from all other walks of life. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ...........................................................................................................................xi LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................................xiii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................1 TICK LIFE HISTORY ......................................................................................................2 LIFE FEEDING HABITS ................................................................................................5 TICK-BORNE DISEASES...............................................................................................7 TICKS AND URBANIZATION ......................................................................................9 TICK-BIRD INTERACTIONS .......................................................................................11 STUDY GOALS .................................................................................................................12 II. THE EFFECT OF URBANIZATION ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TICKS AND THEIR AVIAN HOSTS .......................................................................................................13 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................13 URBANIZATION AND WILDLIFE ...............................................................14 URBANIZATION AND ECTOPARASITES .................................................16 HYPOTHESES ....................................................................................................17 METHODS .........................................................................................................................18 PERMITS .............................................................................................................18
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