Vermont State University researchers receive grant to study links between ticks and invasive plant species

Vermont State University (VTSU) announced Monday, Sept. 23, that it was recently awarded a $1.8 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, along with researchers from the University of Maine, to conduct groundbreaking research on ticks and invasive plant species.

VTSU faculty members Drs. Kristen Ross and William (Bill) Landesman are co-investigators on the grant.

The project, titled “Management of linked human and ecosystem health threats in the private woodland socio-environmental system” is funded through NSF’s Dynamics of Integrated Socio-Environmental Systems program and will provide valuable research opportunities for undergraduate students over the next five years.

“This research is crucial for understanding social dynamics involved in managing ecological threats to forest and human health. This funding will also allow us to provide in-depth, hands-on, impactful research opportunities for our undergraduate students over the next five years,” shared Dr. Ross.

The multidisciplinary team, comprising biologists, social scientists, and mathematical modelers will investigate land management decisions made by private landowners, aimed at addressing threats to both forest and human health in the context of the control of invasive plants and ticks.

“Tick-borne diseases are a persistent and rising concern in Vermont,” said Dr. Landesman. “This project will help us to implement land management to help reduce this risk while maintaining the health of our forests. It is especially rewarding to do be able to perform this research with students and in collaboration with faculty across the VTSU system.”

“Researching the correlation between invasive species and number of ticks has been hard work but it is really important to keep it going. The results of this research could really impact what we know about tick habitat and possibly give more ways to help control tick populations in certain areas. This research is important from both an environmental and human health perspective,” said Allie Cloutier, a student at VTSU Johnson who participated in collecting preliminary data during the summer of 2024.

Alexandra Williams, a VTSU Castleton Biology major who also participated in collecting preliminary data this past summer, shared, “Getting the opportunity to work with Dr. Ross and Dr. Landesman has been an incredible experience. As an undergraduate student, this work has built my researching skills and expanded my knowledge outside of the classroom. Exploring tick densities and invasive plants opened my eyes to a whole other world of biological and ecological studies I never realized was so important for the health of our state’s forests as well as human health.”

This initiative builds upon ongoing research led by Dr. Landesman and students from the VTSU Johnson and Castleton campuses, supported by the CDC-funded New England Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases. The NSF grant allocates $238,000 to VTSU, with funding commencing on Sept. 1, 2024.