Changes in global scale land use and its implications for nature conservation and emerging vector-borne diseases

Abstract

The European nature has been subject to man's impact for thousands of years, which led to major vegetation changes and, with it, major changes in the numerical abundance of wild animals. A number of these wild animals can be vectors of diseases, notably rodents, roe deer and lagomorphs and perhaps waterfowl and storks. The human population explosion of the 19 th and 20 th century led to a near-disappearance of wild nature and a near-eradication of the non-rodent vectors that can transfer diseases to people. Recently, nature is rebounding because in many parts of Europe land abandonment and depopulation of the countryside takes place, coupled to a strong nutrient deposition, yielding great and new possibilities for nature conservation. This leads to an increase in mammals and birds that depend on nutrient-rich conditions, possibly resulting in a strong built-up of tick populations that are the main vectors of diseases like Lyme disease or tickborne encephalitis. Yet very little is known of the ecology of the mammals and birds that form an important linkage in the life cycle of the diseases. Such a lack of knowledge is irresponsible given the threat to human health and life.