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The first step in determining a cause for the trend in tick-borne diseases is to find non-living, environmental factors (abiotic factors) related to the tick’s life cycle that correlate with the trend. The first data studied by the scientists was temperature data. The scientists wondered if changes in annual average temperature for the region could explain the trend in tick-borne diseases.
The first step in determining a cause for the trend in tick-borne diseases is to find non-living, environmental factors (abiotic factors) related to the tick’s life cycle that correlate with the trend. The first data studied by the scientists was temperature data. The scientists wondered if changes in annual average temperature for the region could explain the trend in tick-borne diseases.
Figure 4. Change in Average Annual Temperature
Figure 4. Change in Average Annual Temperature
Read questions 5-6 below, record your responses in your digital lab notebook, then scroll down.
Read questions 5-6 below, record your responses in your digital lab notebook, then scroll down.
Click HERE to view questions 5-6
Click HERE to view questions 5-6
5. What is the trend in annual temperature in the region you identified as important to tick-borne diseases?
5. What is the trend in annual temperature in the region you identified as important to tick-borne diseases?
6. Can this pattern in temperature change provide an explanation for the increase in tick-borne diseases in this entire region? Support your answer with information from the Change in Average Annual Temperature map and the previous maps.
6. Can this pattern in temperature change provide an explanation for the increase in tick-borne diseases in this entire region? Support your answer with information from the Change in Average Annual Temperature map and the previous maps.
Researchers continued to look at environmental data from this region. This time they focused on changes in annual average precipitation over time. Scroll down to see the precipitation data in Figure 5.
Researchers continued to look at environmental data from this region. This time they focused on changes in annual average precipitation over time. Scroll down to see the precipitation data in Figure 5.
Figure 5. Change in Average Annual Precipitation
Figure 5. Change in Average Annual Precipitation
Read questions 7-8 below, record your responses in your digital lab notebook, then scroll down.
Read questions 7-8 below, record your responses in your digital lab notebook, then scroll down.
Click HERE to view questions 7-8
Click HERE to view questions 7-8
7. What is the trend in annual precipitation in the region you identified as important to tick-borne disease?
7. What is the trend in annual precipitation in the region you identified as important to tick-borne disease?
8. Can this pattern in precipitation change provide an explanation for the increase in tick-borne diseases in this entire region? Support your answer with information from the Change in Average Annual Precipitation map and the previous maps.
8. Can this pattern in precipitation change provide an explanation for the increase in tick-borne diseases in this entire region? Support your answer with information from the Change in Average Annual Precipitation map and the previous maps.
Relative Humidity
Relative Humidity
Even though rainfall has increased in the Northeast, the overall relative humidity of the Northeast remains lower than the relative humidity of the Southeast. The researchers hypothesized that this lower relative humidity in the northeast promotes tick survival and reproduction. To test this idea, scientists placed ticks in environments with different humidity levels and monitored their survival rate over time. Scroll down to see the data in Figure 6.
Even though rainfall has increased in the Northeast, the overall relative humidity of the Northeast remains lower than the relative humidity of the Southeast. The researchers hypothesized that this lower relative humidity in the northeast promotes tick survival and reproduction. To test this idea, scientists placed ticks in environments with different humidity levels and monitored their survival rate over time. Scroll down to see the data in Figure 6.
Figure 6. Proportion of Living Ticks
Figure 6. Proportion of Living Ticks
This graph represents the data that the scientists collected.
Read questions 9-11 below, record your responses in your digital lab notebook, then click Next Page
Read questions 9-11 below, record your responses in your digital lab notebook, then click Next Page
Click HERE to view questions 9-10
Click HERE to view questions 9-10
9. What effect does relative humidity have on the proportion of ticks alive after 200 hours?
9. What effect does relative humidity have on the proportion of ticks alive after 200 hours?
10. Does the data support the scientist’s hypothesis? Why or Why not?
10. Does the data support the scientist’s hypothesis? Why or Why not?
In addition to abiotic (non-living) factors like temperature, rainfall and humidity, researchers also investigated factors related to living things (biotic factors). The scientists discovered that ticks from the Northeast U.S behave differently compared to ticks in the Southeast U.S. Ticks in the Southeast stay hidden under leaves, whereas, ticks in the Northeast climb on plant stems. Now read question 11 below.
In addition to abiotic (non-living) factors like temperature, rainfall and humidity, researchers also investigated factors related to living things (biotic factors). The scientists discovered that ticks from the Northeast U.S behave differently compared to ticks in the Southeast U.S. Ticks in the Southeast stay hidden under leaves, whereas, ticks in the Northeast climb on plant stems. Now read question 11 below.
Click HERE to view question 11
Click HERE to view question 11
11. Explain how this difference in behavior could lead to more tick-borne pathogens spreading to humans in the Northeast.
11. Explain how this difference in behavior could lead to more tick-borne pathogens spreading to humans in the Northeast.
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