Frauendorf, Magali
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
Forests provide crucial habitats for nature and people, but also harbour organisms, such as ticks, that can act as vectors for pathogens. Understanding how forest management practices influence host-parasite-pathogen interactions is essential for promoting both forest biodiversity conservation and nature's contributions to people. This study investigates the complex relationships between forest structural complexity, body condition, and tick infestation probability in a common forest bird, the great tit (Parus major), across 19 forests in the Flemish Ardennes, Belgium. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), we first integrated multiple phenotypic health proxies into a single overall condition index. Subsequently, we assessed how variations in forest structural complexity impact the condition of forest birds and their chances of contracting ticks. Our findings showed that birds in better physiological condition, as indicated by lower levels of cellular stress, were more likely to carry ticks. This may be due to ticks preferring healthier and more nutritious hosts and/or condition-linked differences in bird behaviour (e.g. foraging), resulting in higher contact rates with ticks. While forest structural complexity did not significantly affect the birds' overall body condition, it was responsible for an increased tick infestation probability. Specifically, forests with higher structural complexity were associated with increased densities of questing nymphs, thereby elevating the risk of tick infestation in birds. This study highlights the multifaceted role of forest structural complexity in shaping host-parasite dynamics. These insights are valuable for developing forest policies that balance the enhancement of ecological health with the mitigation of health risks posed by tick-borne diseases.
Keywords
Structural equation modeling; Parus major; Tick infestation; Composite body condition; Forest structural complexity
Published in
Heliyon
2025, volume: 11, number: 15, article number: e44058
SLU Authors
UKÄ Subject classification
Ecology
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e44058
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/144397