Researchers at the University of Maine recently received a $1.8 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to study a major pest in the area, according to News Center Maine.
Tick populations have been rising for years, acting as a major vector for Lyme disease. That's why Elissa Ballman, Allison Gardner, and Jessica Leahy are researching ways to cut down the population. The key may lie in invasive plants that ticks rely on for habitat.
The study will determine if removing thickets of buckthorn, honeysuckles, and Japanese barberry will deprive ticks of a stable, humid home. This removal will also help disperse deer and mice, which ticks routinely use as hosts.
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Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species?
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Definitely 👍 Plant and animal species are often transported to new areas thanks to human activity. Once settled, these species can wildly displace native plants and animals, as they haven't evolved to live in balance with these newly introduced feeding and reproduction strategies. The result can be a single species outcompeting natives, leaving few resources for the original inhabitants to thrive.
This does more than just take over people's yards — it poses a major threat to biodiversity. It's a big enough threat that significant federal funding has been dedicated to combating invasive species. Learn more about how invasive species work here.
The trio of University of Maine researchers will be relying on partnerships with local landowners to gather data over five years. Leahy hopes that spreading awareness among multiple landowners in this process could promote collective action against ticks. "The individual choices that people make compounds, and what your neighbor does influences you," she said. She hopes her research will "make it safer for folks to use their land."
"This research uses the connection between human health and our environment to combat multiple issues simultaneously," Gardner said. "By developing actionable strategies to help landowners target invasive plants, we can also reduce habitats where ticks thrive and tick-borne diseases spread — a win-win for people and the environment."
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