Geographical and Ecological Grouping and its Effects on Dermacentor Variabilis Microbiome Diversity and Composition

To assess if different intrastate grouping methods have an impact on the diversity and composition of Dermacentor variabilis ticks using 16S amplicon sequencing for determining bacteria present within the microbiome. By using rough man-made and ecologically naïve groups and comparing it to a grouping method incorporating ecological characteristics, potential evidence towards ecologically derived differences can be determined. This intrastate approach differs from current literature which often describes tick microbiome diversity and composition at an interstate level.