Effect of landscape and population variables on immune response in experimentally introduced bush-cricket populations
Effect of landscape and population variables on immune response in experimentally introduced bush-cricket populations
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DOI:
10.1007/s10980-009-9348-6
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发表时间:
2009-07-01
影响因子:
5.2
通讯作者:
Berggren, Asa
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
Berggren, Asa
Despite the growing interest in relationships between ecological variables and individual immune function, few empirical data have been available from wild populations. In this study, I assayed the immune response from 370 wild-caught bush-crickets, Metrioptera roeseli, from 20 experimentally introduced populations, by measuring individual encapsulation responses to a surgically implanted nylon monofilament. Bush-crickets descended from populations introduced into larger habitat patches showed a greater immune response when compared to individuals from smaller habitat-area introductions. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between immune response and the amount of linear elements at the introduction site. However, there was a lack of effect of population variables (i.e., propagule size and rate of population growth) on immune response. These results suggest that large-scale environmental parameters, such as patch size and connectivity, can be important for an individual's physiological health and its ability to defend against disease-causing agents. Such effects are likely to compound the negative impacts associated with isolation of sub-populations and habitat fragmentation.