Host densities as determinants of abundance in parasite communities
Host densities as determinants of abundance in parasite communities
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DOI：
10.1098/rspb.1998.0431
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发表时间：
1998-07-22
影响因子：
4.7
通讯作者：
Read, AF
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Arneberg, P;Skorping, A;Read, AF
一些流行病学模型预测宿主人口密度和直接传播的大型寄生虫丰度之间的正相关关系。在这里，我们概括了这些，并通过比较研究来测试预测。我们使用的数据来自19种哺乳动物的胃肠道圆线虫的社区，代表检查6670个个体主机。我们研究了宿主物种内所有圆线虫的平均丰度，以及丰度、患病率和强度的两个组成部分。直接控制宿主体重、食物、生殖力和成熟年龄以及寄生虫体型的影响，并使用非遗传学独立对照方法更普遍地控制混杂因素。宿主种群密度和平均寄生虫丰度在哺乳动物类群内呈强正相关，并且在所有物种中，当控制宿主体重的影响时。控制其他变量并没有改变这一点。即使在观察发生在几个宿主物种中的单一寄生虫物种时，在具有最高人口密度的宿主物种中丰度最高。流行率和强度显示出类似的模式。这些模式提供了第一个宏观生态学的证据与预测，传播率取决于宿主的人口密度在自然寄生虫社区。
Several epidemiological models predict a positive relationship between host population density and abundance of directly transmitted macroparasites. Here, we generalize these, and test the prediction by a comparative study. We used data on communities of gastrointestinal strongylid nematodes from 19 mammalian species, representing examination of 6670 individual hosts. We studied both the average abundance of all strongylid nematodes within a host species, and the two components of abundance, prevalence and intensity. The effects of host body weight, diet, fecundity and age at maturity and parasite body size were controlled for directly, and the phylogenetically independent contrast method was used to control for confounding factors more generally. Host population density and average parasite abundance were strongly positively correlated within mammalian taxa, and across all species when the effects of host body weight were controlled for. Controlling for other variables did not change this. Even when looking at single parasite species occurring in several host species, abundance was highest in the host species with the highest population density. Prevalence and intensity showed similar patterns. These patterns provide the first macroecological evidence consistent with the prediction that transmission rates depend on host population density in natural parasite communities.