Wildfire disturbance and ecological cascades: teasing apart the direct and indirect effects of fire on tick populations

Wildfires are a significant ecological force in the western United States, reshaping landscapes and ecological communities. However, assessing wildfires full impact is challenging due to the complexity of fire severity and its varied effects on ecological dynamics. Understanding species-specific responses to disturbances within their environmental context is essential for predicting cascading ecological impacts. Arthropods, including ticks, are particularly sensitive to both abiotic and biotic changes, making them especially vulnerable to the impacts of wildfire.
In this study, we tease apart the complex direct and indirect effects of wildfire on tick populations through a combination of field-level measurements and remote sensing. We assessed tick densities across 88 plots within large, protected reserves in California following three wildfires in August 2020, using data on soil conditions, vegetation cover, tick densities, and landscape-level remotely sensed variables related to veget..., , # Data from: Wildfire disturbance and ecological cascades: teasing apart the direct and indirect effects of fire on tick populations

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.41ns1rnt4](10.5061/dryad.41ns1rnt4)

## Description of the data and file structure

In this study, we tease apart the complex direct and indirect effects of wildfire on tick populations through a combination of field-level measurements and remote sensing. We assessed tick densities across 88 plots within large, protected reserves in California following three wildfires in August 2020, using data on soil conditions, vegetation cover, tick densities, and landscape-level remotely sensed variables related to vegetation regeneration and vertebrate recolonization. To support a multi-scalar approach, we applied piecewise structural equation models (SEMs) to incorporate factors across distinct spatial scales and assess how fire severity affects tick populations, with vegetation and habitat structure as mediating variables, thereby eval...,

野火是美国西部举足轻重的生态驱动力，重塑着区域景观与生态群落结构。然而，由于火灾严重性的复杂性及其对生态动态的多样影响，全面评估野火的整体影响颇具挑战。明确物种在其所处环境背景下对干扰的特异性响应，是预测级联生态效应的关键前提。节肢动物（Arthropods，涵盖蜱虫）对非生物与生物变化均极为敏感，因此极易受到野火干扰的影响。

本研究结合野外实地测量与遥感技术，厘清野火对蜱虫种群复杂的直接与间接作用机制。研究于2020年8月三场野火发生后，针对加利福尼亚州大型保护区内的88个样地开展蜱虫密度调查，同时采集了土壤条件、植被覆盖、蜱虫密度以及与植被恢复相关的景观尺度遥感变量等数据……

# 数据集来源：野火干扰与生态级联效应：厘清野火对蜱虫种群的直接与间接影响

数据集DOI：[10.5061/dryad.41ns1rnt4](10.5061/dryad.41ns1rnt4)

## 数据与文件结构说明

本研究结合野外实地测量与遥感技术，厘清野火对蜱虫种群复杂的直接与间接作用机制。研究于2020年8月三场野火发生后，针对加利福尼亚州大型保护区内的88个样地开展蜱虫密度调查，同时采集了土壤条件、植被覆盖、蜱虫密度以及与植被恢复和脊椎动物重新定殖相关的景观尺度遥感变量数据。为支撑多尺度研究方法，我们采用分段结构方程模型（piecewise structural equation models, SEMs）纳入不同空间尺度的因子，评估火灾严重性如何通过作为中介变量的植被与栖息地结构影响蜱虫种群，进而探讨……