Ticks are much more abundant in the parts of Acadia National Park that burned in the October 1947 fire than in the areas that were spared. That is a preliminary finding of research into the prevalence and distribution of ticks in the park.
“We’re trying to establish associations between where we see high densities of ticks and various environmental variables,” said Allison Gardner, assistant professor of biology and ecology at the University of Maine, who is leading the study.
“We’re conducting this research because we want to be able to inform visitors about where they are most likely to get exposed to ticks in the park, which can potentially help them protect themselves.
“We’ve also been collaborating with National Park Service staff with the goal of using our findings to inform landscape management strategies that the park could undertake to protect visitors against exposure to ticks.”