Predicting the potential global distribution of Ixodes pacificus under climate change

Discussion The distribution of I. pacificus is related to climate variables. Ticks generally go through four life stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. Most of their life cycle is exposed to the natural envi- ronment, so ticks need to adapt to local non biological factors (humidity, soil moisture and temperature.) and biological factors (damp leaves, dense vegetation, dense tree shade and host interactions.) [16]. When biting hosts to feed on blood, ticks are in a low metabolic state. At this time, ticks are particularly sensitive to environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity, and use vegetation and fallen leaves to regulate their microenvironment [17]. In Fig 7. Response curves of climatic variables to the distribution probability of I. pacificus. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309367.g007 Fig 8. Global potential suitable areas of I. pacificus under near current climatic conditions. Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309367.g008 PLOS ONE Prediction of the distribution of Ixodes pacificus PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309367 August 27, 2024 10 / 18