Measuring the Effects of Intensive Forest
Management on Innate Immunity
Whole blood bactericidal activity in wild deer
mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) in Oregon.
Natalie Rogers
With the help of:
Dr. Rhea Hanselmann
In the lab of:
Dr. Anna Jolles
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Background:
Ecosystem erosion
e.g. intensive forest management (IFM)
Change in
community
composition
Health suffers
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Background
(Cont.)
 Immunocompetence
 Innate immune system
 The wild deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)
 Loss of habitat and stressors can impact this
species’ ability to fight pathogens
 Disease transmission
Hypothesis
Innate immunity in wild deer mice can be
negatively impacted by intensive forest
management practices.
Intensive forest
management erodes
ecosystem
Change in community
composition
Innate immunity
impaired
Objective
To assess the innate immune system in wild deer
mice (P. maniculatus) inhabiting intensely
managed forestry sites in the Oregon coast range
by measuring the bactericidal activity of whole
blood.
http://pixdaus.com/?sort=tag&tag=deer%20mouse
Site 2
Methods
 Location:
 Two sites

Six plots/site



Site 1
Older stands
Clearcut control
Intensively treated
 Trapping:
 Sherman live traps
 ~180 traps/site
http://maps.google.com
Sites:
Older Stands
Control
Treatment
Methods (cont.)
 Whole blood bactericidal assay (BCA)
 Escherichia coli + Whole Blood + Medium → Agar
 Bacterial killing capacity (BKC) =
(# of colonies on control plates)-(# of colonies on dilution plates)
(# of colonies on control plates)
Predicted Results
BKC of wild deer mice will differ by management
level:
Older Stands:
High BKC
Control:
?
Treatment:
Low BKC
Results – What was Caught?
Number of Deer Mice
25
20
15
10
5
0
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v472/
n7344/full/472392a.html
Older Stands
Control
Treatment
Management Levels
Results: How does IFM affect
innate immunity?
1:23 Dilution
1.4
1.2
BKC
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Older
Control
Management Level
Treatment
Discussion
 How do the different management levels affect BKC?
1:23 Dilution
1.4
1.2
1
BKC
0.8
0.6
0.4
Older
Stands
Control
Treatment
0.2
0
Management Level
 What could cause this?

Herbicides, resource availability, territoriality, etc.
Discussion
 Other dilutions show reversed trend:
1.4
1.2
BKC
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Older
Stands
Control
1:11
Treatment
Older
Stands
Control Treatment
1:47
Management Levels
 Could be caused by confounding variables
 parasites, disease status, physiology etc.
Conclusions
 Trend shows management may affect BKC at 1:23
dilution.
 This trend is reversed for lower and higher dilutions.
 Data is preliminary.
 Ecosystems can have effect on health and immunity,
but in which way remains unclear.
Special thanks to:
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Dr. Rhea Hanselmann
Dr. Anna Jolles
Dr. Kevin Ahern
Jolles lab field crew
Thank you for the opportunity!
Any Questions?