What is the impact of urban development on tick populations?

Urban development can significantly impact tick populations, particularly through habitat fragmentation. When urban areas expand, they often divide natural habitats into smaller, isolated patches. This fragmentation can lead to an increase in human-tick encounters as the remaining suitable habitats become closer to urban settings.

As people engage in recreational activities or live close to these fragmented habitats, the likelihood of encountering ticks also increases. The created edges between urban areas and natural habitats can support wildlife species that harbor ticks, thus promoting the persistence and spread of tick populations in urban settings.

The other options suggest various other impacts of urban development, like reducing tick habitats or enhancing wildlife populations, but the specific mechanisms of habitat fragmentation leading to increased human encounters makes this option the most accurate in reflecting the complex interactions between urban development and tick populations.