Chain Reactions Linking Acorns to Gypsy Moth Outbreaks and Lyme Disease Risk

Oak trees (Quercus spp.) produce large autumnal acorn crops every two to five years, and produce few or no acorns during intervening years. Acorns are a critical food for white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus). Mice are important predators of the pupal stage of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). This introduced insect periodically undergoes outbreaks that defoliate millions of hectares of oak forests, decreasing tree growth, survival, and acorn crop production. An abundance of acorns provides food for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Mice and deer are the primary hosts of the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis), which carries Lyme disease.

Design a controlled experiment that tests the relationship between acorn production and gypsy moth population. Include the hypothesis that the experiment tests, and identify the variable you will be testing.