INCORPORATING BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY INTO RISK MODELS FOR CONTACT WITH LONE STAR TICK AMBLYOMMA AMERICANUM

The major goalof this project istocreate a predictive risk model for livestock and human contact withAmblyomma americanum.Objectives to achieve thisgoal includes:1. MeasureA. americanumabundance in oak forest, pastures, and oak forest-pasture ecotones.2. ExploreA. americanummovement in oak forest, pastures, and oak forest-pasture ecotones using mark-recapture techniques to measure distances moved and time spent moving in those habitats.3. Create a statistical model to estimate the spatial and temporal distribution ofA. americanumin oak forests, pastures, and oak forest-pasture ecotones.