Effects of active forest management on host-seeking tick density and infection prevalence: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Hard-bodied ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) pose a major public health threat, transmitting multiple pathogens among humans and wildlife worldwide. Research has investigated how anthropogenic land use change impacts tick density and infection prevalence in temperate forests, including the effects of active forest management practices like prescribed burning, invasive vegetation removal and timber harvesting. However, studies' results are inconsistent and seemingly context-dependent, making it difficult for land managers, landowners and policy makers to identify whether management addresses the public health concern. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis and documented a net decrease in tick density correlating with prescribed burns and invasive vegetation removal, but no effect on tick infection prevalence. Our review of a substantially smaller number of timber harvesting-focused studies showed the same pattern. Through a systematic literature review, we explored potential causal pathways between these management practices and lower tick density, including microclimate- and host-driven mechanisms. We recommend that future research explore mechanisms for tick infection prevalence and, for prescribed burn studies, employ standardized measurements of burn intensity and consider long-term effects post-burn.