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Mendoza H, López-Pérez AM, Rubio AV, Barrón-Rodríguez JJ, Mazari-Hiriart M, Pontifes PA, Dirzo R, Suzán G. Association between anthropization and rodent reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens in Northwestern Mexico. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298976. [PMID: 38386681 PMCID: PMC10883555 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The world is facing a major pulse of ecological and social changes that may favor the risk of zoonotic outbreaks. Such risk facilitation may occur through the modification of the host's community diversity and structure, leading to an increase in pathogen reservoirs and the contact rate between these reservoirs and humans. Here, we examined whether anthropization alters the relative abundance and richness of zoonotic reservoir and non-reservoir rodents in three Socio-Ecological Systems. We hypothesized that anthropization increases the relative abundance and richness of rodent reservoirs while decreasing non-reservoir species. We first developed an Anthropization index based on 15 quantitative socio-ecological variables classified into five groups: 1) Vegetation type, 2) Urbanization degree, 3) Water quality, 4) Potential contaminant sources, and 5) Others. We then monitored rodent communities in three regions of Northwestern Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, and Sonora). A total of 683 rodents of 14 genera and 27 species were captured, nine of which have been identified as reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens (359 individuals, 53%). In all regions, we found that as anthropization increased, the relative abundance of reservoir rodents increased; in contrast, the relative abundance of non-reservoir rodents decreased. In Sonora, reservoir richness increased with increasing anthropization, while in Baja California and Chihuahua non-reservoir richness decreased as anthropization increased. We also found a significant positive relationship between the anthropization degree and the abundance of house mice (Mus musculus) and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), the most abundant reservoir species in the study. These findings support the hypothesis that reservoir species of zoonotic pathogens increase their abundance in disturbed environments, which may increase the risk of pathogen exposure to humans, while anthropization creates an environmental filtering that promotes the local extinction of non-reservoir species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Mendoza
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades y Una Salud, Departamento de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
- Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Andrés M. López-Pérez
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, United States of America
- Red de Biología y Conservación de Vertebrados, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, México
| | - André V. Rubio
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Animales, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Julio J. Barrón-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades y Una Salud, Departamento de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Marisa Mazari-Hiriart
- Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Paulina A. Pontifes
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades y Una Salud, Departamento de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
- MIVEGEC Unit, IRD, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Rodolfo Dirzo
- Departments of Biology and Earth Systems Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Gerardo Suzán
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades y Una Salud, Departamento de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
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2
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Soininen EM, Neby M. Small rodent population cycles and plants - after 70 years, where do we go? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:265-294. [PMID: 37827522 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Small rodent population cycles characterise northern ecosystems, and the cause of these cycles has been a long-lasting central topic in ecology, with trophic interactions currently considered the most plausible cause. While some researchers have rejected plant-herbivore interactions as a cause of rodent cycles, others have continued to research their potential roles. Here, we present an overview of whether plants can cause rodent population cycles, dividing this idea into four different hypotheses with different pathways of plant impacts and related assumptions. Our systematic review of the existing literature identified 238 studies from 150 publications. This evidence base covered studies from the temperate biome to the tundra, but the studies were scattered across study systems and only a few specific topics were addressed in a replicated manner. Quantitative effects of rodents on vegetation was the best studied topic, and our evidence base suggests such that such effects may be most pronounced in winter. However, the regrowth of vegetation appears to take place too rapidly to maintain low rodent population densities over several years. The lack of studies prevented assessment of time lags in the qualitative responses of vegetation to rodent herbivory. We conclude that the literature is currently insufficient to discard with confidence any of the four potential hypotheses for plant-rodent cycles discussed herein. While new methods allow analyses of plant quality across more herbivore-relevant spatial scales than previously possible, we argue that the best way forward to rejecting any of the rodent-plant hypotheses is testing specific predictions of dietary variation. Indeed, all identified hypotheses make explicit assumptions on how rodent diet taxonomic composition and quality will change across the cycle. Passing this bottleneck could help pinpoint where, when, and how plant-herbivore interactions have - or do not have - plausible effects on rodent population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eeva M Soininen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Postboks 6050 Langnes, Tromsø, 9037, Norway
| | - Magne Neby
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Høyvangvegen 40, Ridabu, 2322, Norway
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Vigués J, Menci S, Wilkinson C, Le Vaillant M, Angerbjörn A, Norén K. A beacon of dung: using lemming (Lemmus lemmus) winter nests and DNA analysis of faeces to further understand predator–prey dynamics in Northern Sweden. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02958-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract The hypothesis that predation is the cause of the regular small rodent population oscillations observed in boreal and Arctic regions has long been debated. Within this hypothesis, it is proposed that the most likely predators to cause these destabilizing effects are sedentary specialists, with small mustelids being possible candidates. One such case would be the highly specialized least weasel (Mustela nivalis) driving the Norwegian lemming (Lemmus lemmus) cycle in Fennoscandia. These predators are often elusive and therefore distribution data can only be based on field signs, which is problematic when various mustelid species are sympatric, such as weasels and stoats (Mustela erminea). Here we present the results of using mustelid faeces in predated winter lemming nests to correctly identify the predator and thus discern which species exerts the strongest predation pressure on lemming winter populations. Samples were obtained during different phases in the lemming cycle, spanning 6 years, to account for different prey densities. Faecal mitochondrial DNA extraction and amplification of a 400-bp fragment was successful in 92/114 samples (81%); the sequencing of these samples proved that most predation occurrences (83%) could be attributed to the least weasel. These findings support the hypothesis that weasels in particular show high specificity in predation and could therefore be candidates to driving the lemming cycle in this area. We conclude that DNA analysis of faecal remains around predated nests can be a useful tool for further investigations concerning predator–prey interactions in the tundra.
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Soghigian J, Livdahl T. Field Evidence of Mosquito Population Regulation by a Gregarine Parasite. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1188-1196. [PMID: 33570154 PMCID: PMC8122234 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although parasites are by definition costly to their host, demonstrating that a parasite is regulating its host abundance in the field can be difficult. Here we present an example of a gregarine parasite, Ascogregarina taiwanensis Lien and Levine (Apicomplexa: Lecudinidae), regulating its mosquito host, Aedes albopictus Skuse (Diptera: Culicidae), in Bermuda. We sampled larvae from container habitats over 2 yr, assessed parasite prevalence, and estimated host abundance from egg counts obtained in neighboring ovitraps. We regressed change in average egg count from 1 yr to the next on parasite prevalence and found a significant negative effect of parasite prevalence. We found no evidence of host density affecting parasite prevalence. Our results demonstrate that even for a parasite with moderate virulence, host regulation can occur in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Soghigian
- Department of Biology, Clark University, Worcester, MA
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Todd Livdahl
- Department of Biology, Clark University, Worcester, MA
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5
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Andreassen HP, Sundell J, Ecke F, Halle S, Haapakoski M, Henttonen H, Huitu O, Jacob J, Johnsen K, Koskela E, Luque-Larena JJ, Lecomte N, Leirs H, Mariën J, Neby M, Rätti O, Sievert T, Singleton GR, van Cann J, Vanden Broecke B, Ylönen H. Population cycles and outbreaks of small rodents: ten essential questions we still need to solve. Oecologia 2021; 195:601-622. [PMID: 33369695 PMCID: PMC7940343 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04810-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Most small rodent populations in the world have fascinating population dynamics. In the northern hemisphere, voles and lemmings tend to show population cycles with regular fluctuations in numbers. In the southern hemisphere, small rodents tend to have large amplitude outbreaks with less regular intervals. In the light of vast research and debate over almost a century, we here discuss the driving forces of these different rodent population dynamics. We highlight ten questions directly related to the various characteristics of relevant populations and ecosystems that still need to be answered. This overview is not intended as a complete list of questions but rather focuses on the most important issues that are essential for understanding the generality of small rodent population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry P Andreassen
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Janne Sundell
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, 16900, Lammi, Finland
| | - Fraucke Ecke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogsmarksgränd, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Stefan Halle
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Str. 159, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Marko Haapakoski
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Konnevesi Research Station, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Heikki Henttonen
- Terrestrial Population Dynamics, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Otso Huitu
- Terrestrial Population Dynamics, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jens Jacob
- Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Vertebrate Research, Julius Kühn-Institut, Toppheideweg 88, 48161, Münster, Germany
| | - Kaja Johnsen
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Esa Koskela
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Juan Jose Luque-Larena
- Departamento de Ciencias Agroforestales, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenierıas Agrarias, Universidad de Valladolid, Campus La Yutera, Avenida de Madrid 44, 34004, Palencia, Spain
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal Ecology and Centre D'Études Nordiques, Department of Biology, Université de Moncton, 18 Avenue Antonine-Maillet, Moncton, NB, E1A 3E9, Canada
| | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitslain 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Joachim Mariën
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitslain 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Magne Neby
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Osmo Rätti
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, P.O. Box 122, 96101, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Thorbjörn Sievert
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Konnevesi Research Station, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Grant R Singleton
- International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Marine, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Joannes van Cann
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Bram Vanden Broecke
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitslain 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Hannu Ylönen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Konnevesi Research Station, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland.
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Mair I, McNeilly TN, Corripio-Miyar Y, Forman R, Else KJ. Embracing nature's complexity: Immunoparasitology in the wild. Semin Immunol 2021; 53:101525. [PMID: 34785137 PMCID: PMC8713030 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2021.101525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A wealth of research is dedicated to understanding how resistance against parasites is conferred and how parasite-driven pathology is regulated. This research is in part driven by the hope to better treatments for parasitic diseases of humans and livestock, and in part by immunologists who use parasitic infections as biomedical tools to evoke physiological immune responses. Much of the current mechanistic knowledge has been discovered in laboratory studies using model organisms, especially the laboratory mouse. However, wildlife are also hosts to a range of parasites. Through the study of host-parasite interactions in these non-laboratory systems we can gain a deeper understanding of parasite immunology in a more natural, complex environment. With a focus on helminth parasites, we here explore the insights gained into parasite-induced immune responses through (for immunologists) non-conventional experimental systems, and how current core findings from laboratory studies are reflected in these more natural conditions. The quality of the immune response is undoubtedly a central player in susceptibility versus resistance, as many laboratory studies have shown. Yet, in the wild, parasite infections tend to be chronic diseases. Whilst reading our review, we encourage the reader to consider the following questions which may (only) be answered by studying naturally occurring parasites in the wild: a) what type of immune responses are mounted against parasites in different hosts in the wild, and how do they vary within an individual over time, between individuals of the same species and between species? b) can we use wild or semi-wild study systems to understand the evolutionary drivers for tolerance versus resistance towards a parasite? c) what determines the ability of the host to cope with an infection and is there a link with the type of immune response mounted? d) can we modulate environmental factors to manipulate a wild animal's immune response to parasitic infections, with translation potential for humans, wildlife, and livestock? and e) in context of this special issue, what lessons for Type 2 immunity can we glean from studying animals in their natural environments? Further, we aim to integrate some of the knowledge gained in semi-wild and wild settings with knowledge gained from traditional laboratory-based research, and to raise awareness for the opportunities (and challenges) that come with integrating a multitude of naturally-occurring variables into immunoparasitological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Mair
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Oxford Road Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
| | - Tom N McNeilly
- Disease Control Department, Moredun Research Institute, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK
| | - Yolanda Corripio-Miyar
- Disease Control Department, Moredun Research Institute, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK
| | - Ruth Forman
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Oxford Road Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Kathryn J Else
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Oxford Road Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
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Solak HM, Yanchukov A, Çolak F, Matur F, Sözen M, Ayanoğlu İC, Winternitz JC. Altitudinal Effects on Innate Immune Response of a Subterranean Rodent. Zoolog Sci 2020; 37:31-41. [PMID: 32068372 DOI: 10.2108/zs190067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Immune defense is costly to maintain and deploy, and the optimal investment into immune defense depends on risk of infection. Altitude is a natural environmental factor that is predicted to affect parasite abundance, with lower parasite abundance predicted at higher altitudes due to stronger environmental stressors, which reduce parasite transmission. Using high and low altitude populations of the Turkish blind mole-rat (TBMR) Nannospalax xanthodon, we tested for effects of altitude on constitutive innate immune defense. Field studies were performed with 32 wild animals in 2017 and 2018 from two low- and one high-altitude localities in the Central Taurus Mountains, at respective altitudes of 1010 m, 1115 m, and 2900 m above sea level. We first compared innate standing immune defense as measured by the bacteria-killing ability of blood serum. We then measured corticosterone stress hormone levels, as stressful conditions may affect immune response. Finally, we compared prevalence and intensity of gastrointestinal parasites of field-captured TBMR. We found that the bacteria-killing ability of serum is greater in the mole-rat samples from high altitude. There was no significant difference in stress (corticosterone) levels between altitude categories. Coccidian prevalence and abundance were significantly higher in 2017 than 2018 samples, but there was no significant difference in prevalence, abundance, or intensity between altitudes, or between sexes. Small sample sizes may have reduced power to detect true differences; nevertheless, this study provides support that greater standing innate immunity in high altitude animals may reflect greater investment into constitutive defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halil Mert Solak
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Bülent Ecevit University, Farabi Campus, 67100, İncivez, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Alexey Yanchukov
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Bülent Ecevit University, Farabi Campus, 67100, İncivez, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Faruk Çolak
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Bülent Ecevit University, Farabi Campus, 67100, İncivez, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Ferhat Matur
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Dokuz Eylül University, Tınaztepe Campus, 35390, Buca, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Sözen
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Bülent Ecevit University, Farabi Campus, 67100, İncivez, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - İhsan Cihan Ayanoğlu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Science, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Jamie C Winternitz
- Department of Animal Behavior, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany,
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Evidence for different bottom-up mechanisms in wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) and bank vole (Myodes glareolus) population fluctuations in Southern Norway. MAMMAL RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-020-00476-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAnimals that feed on forest tree seeds, such as Apodemus mice, increase in number after a mast year. At high latitudes, there is a similar delayed response by Myodes voles to high seed crops of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), but here the mechanism is hypothesised to be increased forage quality, caused by a trade-off between reproduction and defence in the plants. Both Apodemus mice and Myodes voles eat berries, but only the latter feed on bilberry plants. Hence, only Myodes voles are predicted to respond to bilberry peak years. A second prediction is that the effect should last longer than any possible direct impacts of bilberries, because the plants would not be able to rebuild their defence until the succeeding summer. During a 21-year snap-trapping study of small rodents in Southern Norway, the spring population of bank vole (Myodes glareolus) was positively related to a bilberry seed index of the previous year, indicating increased winter survival, whereas the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) was not affected. Also the succeeding autumn population index of the bank vole was positively related to the bilberry index of the previous year, even when controlling for spring population levels. The wood mouse population responded to mast years of sessile oak (Quercus petraea), whereas seeds of Norway spruce (Picea abies) seemed to have some impact on both species. It is concluded that these rodents are mainly limited from below, but by different mechanisms for the granivorous and the herbivorous species.
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Gilg O, Bollache L, Afonso E, Yannic G, Schmidt NM, Hansen LH, Hansen J, Sittler B, Lang J, Meyer N, Sabard B, Gilg V, Lang A, Lebbar M, Haukisalmi V, Henttonen H, Moreau J. Are gastrointestinal parasites associated with the cyclic population dynamics of their arctic lemming hosts? Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2019; 10:6-12. [PMID: 31321206 PMCID: PMC6612653 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Many rodents, including most populations of arctic lemmings (genus Dicrostonyx and Lemmus), have cyclic population dynamics. Among the numerous hypotheses which have been proposed and tested to explain this typical characteristic of some terrestrial vertebrate communities, trophic interactions have often been presented as the most likely drivers of these periodic fluctuations. The possible role of parasites has, however, only seldom been assessed. In this study, we genetically measured the prevalence of two endoparasite taxa, eimerians and cestodes, in 372 faecal samples from collared lemmings, over a five year period and across three distant sites in Northeast Greenland. Prevalence of cestodes was low (2.7% over all sites and years) and this taxon was only found at one site (although in 4 out of 5 years) in adult hosts. By contrast, we found high prevalence for eimerians (77.7% over all sites and years), which occurred at all sites, in every year, for both age classes (at the Hochstetter Forland site where both adult and juvenile faeces were collected) and regardless of reproductive and social status inferred from the characteristics of the lemming nests where the samples had been collected. Prevalence of eimerians significantly varied among years (not among sites) and was higher for juvenile than for adult lemmings at the Hochstetter Forland site. However, higher prevalence of eimerians (P t ) was only associated with lower lemming density (N t ) at one of the three sites and we found no delayed density dependence between N t and P t+1 to support the parasite hypothesis. Our results show that there is no clear relation between lemming density and eimerian faecal prevalence in Northeast Greenland and hence no evidence that eimerians could be driving the cyclic population dynamics of collared lemmings in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Gilg
- Laboratoire Chrono-environnement, UMR 6249 CNRS-UFC, Université de Franche-Comté, 25000, Besançon, France
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440, Francheville, France
| | - Loïc Bollache
- Laboratoire Chrono-environnement, UMR 6249 CNRS-UFC, Université de Franche-Comté, 25000, Besançon, France
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440, Francheville, France
| | - Eve Afonso
- Laboratoire Chrono-environnement, UMR 6249 CNRS-UFC, Université de Franche-Comté, 25000, Besançon, France
| | - Glenn Yannic
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440, Francheville, France
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Niels Martin Schmidt
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Lars Holst Hansen
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jannik Hansen
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Benoît Sittler
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440, Francheville, France
- Chair for Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Tennenbacherstrasse 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Lang
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440, Francheville, France
- Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Working Group for Wildlife Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Meyer
- Laboratoire Chrono-environnement, UMR 6249 CNRS-UFC, Université de Franche-Comté, 25000, Besançon, France
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440, Francheville, France
| | - Brigitte Sabard
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440, Francheville, France
| | - Vladimir Gilg
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440, Francheville, France
| | - Anita Lang
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440, Francheville, France
- Nonnenrötherstr. 14a, 35423, Lich, Germany
| | - Mathilde Lebbar
- UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 Boulevard Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | | | | | - Jérôme Moreau
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440, Francheville, France
- UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 Boulevard Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
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10
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Van Cann J, Koskela E, Mappes T, Mikkonen A, Mokkonen M, Watts PC. Early life of fathers affects offspring fitness in a wild rodent. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:1141-1151. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Joannes Van Cann
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyvaskyla Finland
| | - Esa Koskela
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyvaskyla Finland
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyvaskyla Finland
| | - Anne‐Mari Mikkonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyvaskyla Finland
| | - Mikael Mokkonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyvaskyla Finland
- Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada
| | - Phillip C. Watts
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyvaskyla Finland
- Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada
- Ecology and Genetics Unit University of Oulu Oulu Finland
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11
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Strandin T, Babayan SA, Forbes KM. Reviewing the effects of food provisioning on wildlife immunity. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019. [PMID: 29531143 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
While urban expansion increasingly encroaches on natural habitats, many wildlife species capitalize on anthropogenic food resources, which have the potential to both positively and negatively influence their responses to infection. Here we examine how food availability and key nutrients have been reported to shape innate and adaptive immunity in wildlife by drawing from field-based studies, as well as captive and food restriction studies with wildlife species. Examples of food provisioning and key nutrients enhancing immune function were seen across the three study type distinctions, as were cases of trace metals and pharmaceuticals impairing the immunity of wildlife species. More generally, food provisioning in field studies tended to increase innate and adaptive responses to certain immune challenges, whereas patterns were less clear in captive studies. Mild food restriction often enhanced, whereas severe food restriction frequently impaired immunity. However, to enable stronger conclusions we stress a need for further research, especially field studies, and highlight the importance of integrating nutritional manipulation, immune challenge, and functional outcomes. Despite current gaps in research on this topic, modern high throughput molecular approaches are increasingly feasible for wildlife studies and offer great opportunities to better understand human influences on wildlife health.This article is part of the theme issue 'Anthropogenic resource subsidies and host-parasite dynamics in wildlife'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Strandin
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland
| | - Simon A Babayan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.,The Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Kristian M Forbes
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland .,Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16082, USA
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12
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Altizer S, Becker DJ, Epstein JH, Forbes KM, Gillespie TR, Hall RJ, Hawley DM, Hernandez SM, Martin LB, Plowright RK, Satterfield DA, Streicker DG. Food for contagion: synthesis and future directions for studying host-parasite responses to resource shifts in anthropogenic environments. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019. [PMID: 29531154 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-provided resource subsidies for wildlife are diverse, common and have profound consequences for wildlife-pathogen interactions, as demonstrated by papers in this themed issue spanning empirical, theoretical and management perspectives from a range of study systems. Contributions cut across scales of organization, from the within-host dynamics of immune function, to population-level impacts on parasite transmission, to landscape- and regional-scale patterns of infection. In this concluding paper, we identify common threads and key findings from author contributions, including the consequences of resource subsidies for (i) host immunity; (ii) animal aggregation and contact rates; (iii) host movement and landscape-level infection patterns; and (iv) interspecific contacts and cross-species transmission. Exciting avenues for future work include studies that integrate mechanistic modelling and empirical approaches to better explore cross-scale processes, and experimental manipulations of food resources to quantify host and pathogen responses. Work is also needed to examine evolutionary responses to provisioning, and ask how diet-altered changes to the host microbiome influence infection processes. Given the massive public health and conservation implications of anthropogenic resource shifts, we end by underscoring the need for practical recommendations to manage supplemental feeding practices, limit human-wildlife conflicts over shared food resources and reduce cross-species transmission risks, including to humans.This article is part of the theme issue 'Anthropogenic resource subsidies and host-parasite dynamics in wildlife'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Altizer
- Odum School of Ecology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA .,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Daniel J Becker
- Odum School of Ecology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | | | - Kristian M Forbes
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.,Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Thomas R Gillespie
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Richard J Hall
- Odum School of Ecology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Department of Infectious Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Dana M Hawley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Sonia M Hernandez
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Raina K Plowright
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Dara A Satterfield
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Daniel G Streicker
- Odum School of Ecology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.,MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
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13
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Selås V, Framstad E, Sonerud GA, Wegge P, Wiig Ø. Voles and climate in Norway: Is the abundance of herbivorous species inversely related to summer temperature? ACTA OECOLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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14
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Heroldová M, Michalko R, Suchomel J, Zejda J. Influence of no-tillage versus tillage system on common vole (Microtus arvalis) population density. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2018; 74:1346-1350. [PMID: 29193739 DOI: 10.1002/ps.4809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the 'no-tillage' management system generally improves soil properties and helps to control arthropod pests, it may also intensify crop infestation by the common vole (Microtus arvalis Pallas). In this study, we evaluated the impact of soil management (no-tillage or tillage), crop and previous crop (winter wheat or winter rape), and season (spring or autumn) on common vole density using data from the Common Vole Monitoring Programme undertaken by the Plant Protection Service of the Czech Republic between 2000 and 2009. RESULTS Models predicted low mean values of vole infestation across management types, crops, and seasons. The untilled fields hosted significantly more voles than the tilled fields in spring but not in autumn. More common voles were found in winter rape than in winter wheat during both seasons. CONCLUSION Recent studies suggest that no-tillage management is more profitable than tillage management as a result of its positive impact on soil properties and pest control. During periods of high vole infestation, however, tillage may constitute an alternative strategy for reducing yield losses. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Heroldová
- Department of Forest Ecology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Michalko
- Department of Forest Ecology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Suchomel
- Faculty of AgriSciences, Department of Zoology, Fisheries, Hydrobiology and Apiculture, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Zejda
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
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15
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Reed JH, Bonter DN. Supplementing non-target taxa: bird feeding alters the local distribution of mammals. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:761-770. [PMID: 29509299 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Although the effects of bird feeding on avian species have been extensively examined, few studies evaluate the indirect effects of bird feeding on non-target taxa. Bird seed could provide direct nourishment to several mammalian species (e.g., Lagomorpha, Rodentia, and Cetartiodactyla), potentially altering their distribution and behavior with possible unintended consequences for some avian populations, particularly those not directly benefiting from the resource. To examine how bird feeders may influence the presence and behavior of mammals, we used camera traps to quantify differences in the distribution and richness of mammal species frequenting sites with bird feeders and control sites (lacking feeders) in Ithaca, New York, USA. We recorded 15,684 images capturing 12 mammal species with gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and raccoon (Procyon lotor) detected significantly more often at feeder sites than at control sites. Detections of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) marginally increased near feeders whereas detections of several carnivorous species were unrelated to the presence of bird feeders. We recorded larger gray squirrel and raccoon group sizes and greater mammal richness at feeder sites than at nearby control sites. We detected squirrels and raccoons less when snow covered the ground than on snow-free days. Ambient temperature was not a strong predictor of mammal detections. Camera trapping revealed strong, species-specific patterns in the timing of daily visitation to areas with feeders. Because many mammals depredate bird nests, the local increases in mammal richness and activity near bird feeders may create an ecological trap for avian species nesting in close proximity to supplemental feeding stations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Hunter Reed
- Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Morrison Hall, 507 Tower Road, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - David N Bonter
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
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16
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Shaner PJL, Yu AY, Li SH, Hou CH. The effects of food and parasitism on reproductive performance of a wild rodent. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4162-4172. [PMID: 29721288 PMCID: PMC5916304 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Food and parasitism can have complex effects on small mammal reproduction. In this study, we tested the effects of sex, food, and parasitism on reproductive performance of the Taiwan field mouse (Apodemus semotus). In a field experiment, we increased food availability for a portion of the mice in the population by providing sorghum seeds to a set of food stations. We reduced parasite intensity of randomly chosen mice through ivermectin treatment. We determined the number and quality of offspring for the mice using paternity analysis. We quantified seed consumption with stable carbon isotope values of mouse plasma and parasite intensity with fecal egg counts of intestinal nematodes and cestodes (FEC). In a laboratory experiment, we reduced parasite intensity of randomly chosen mice through ivermectin treatment. We quantified their immune functions by total white blood cell count, percent granulocyte count, and percent lymphocyte count through hematological analyses. We measured the FEC and energy intake of the mice. From the field experiment, the number of offspring in A. semotus increased with increasing seed consumption. Due to the trade‐off between number and quality of offspring, the offspring quality decreased with increasing seed consumption for the females. The ivermectin treatment did not affect offspring number or quality. However, the FEC was positively correlated with number of offspring. In the laboratory experiment, the percent lymphocyte/granulocyte count changed with parasite intensity at low energy intake, which was relaxed at high energy intake. This study demonstrated positive effects of food availability and neutral effects of parasitism on A. semotus reproduction. However, the benefits of food availability for the females need to take into account the offspring number–quality trade‐off, and at high infection intensity, parasitism might negatively affect offspring quality for the males. We suggest that food availability could mediate the relationships between parasite intensity and immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Jen L Shaner
- Department of Life Science National Taiwan Normal University Taipei Taiwan
| | - Ai-Yun Yu
- Department of Life Science National Taiwan Normal University Taipei Taiwan
| | - Shou-Hsien Li
- Department of Life Science National Taiwan Normal University Taipei Taiwan
| | - Ching-Ho Hou
- Department of Life Science National Taiwan Normal University Taipei Taiwan
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17
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Becker DJ, Streicker DG, Altizer S, Derryberry E. Using host species traits to understand the consequences of resource provisioning for host-parasite interactions. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:511-525. [PMID: 29023699 PMCID: PMC5836909 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Supplemental food provided to wildlife by human activities can be more abundant and predictable than natural resources, and subsequent changes in wildlife ecology can have profound impacts on host-parasite interactions. Identifying traits of species associated with increases or decreases in infection outcomes with resource provisioning could improve assessments of wildlife most prone to disease risks in changing environments. We conducted a phylogenetic meta-analysis of 342 host-parasite interactions across 56 wildlife species and three broad taxonomic groups of parasites to identify host-level traits that influence whether provisioning is associated with increases or decreases in infection. We predicted dietary generalists that capitalize on novel food would show greater infection in provisioned habitats owing to population growth and food-borne exposure to contaminants and parasite infectious stages. Similarly, species with fast life histories could experience stronger demographic and immunological benefits from provisioning that affect parasite transmission. We also predicted that wide-ranging and migratory behaviours could increase infection risks with provisioning if concentrated and non-seasonal foods promote dense aggregations that increase exposure to parasites. We found that provisioning increased infection with bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa (i.e. microparasites) most for wide-ranging, dietary generalist host species. Effect sizes for ectoparasites were also highest for host species with large home ranges but were instead lowest for dietary generalists. In contrast, the type of provisioning was a stronger correlate of infection outcomes for helminths than host species traits. Our analysis highlights host traits related to movement and feeding behaviour as important determinants of whether species experience greater infection with supplemental feeding. These results could help prioritize monitoring wildlife with particular trait profiles in anthropogenic habitats to reduce infectious disease risks in provisioned populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Becker
- Odum School of EcologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious DiseaseUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
| | - Daniel G. Streicker
- Odum School of EcologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
- MRC‐University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchGlasgowUK
| | - Sonia Altizer
- Odum School of EcologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious DiseaseUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
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18
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Experimental testing of reciprocal effects of nutrition and parasitism in wild black capuchin monkeys. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12778. [PMID: 28986531 PMCID: PMC5630591 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12803-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutritional stress may predispose individuals to infection, which in turn can have further detrimental effects on physical condition, thus creating an opportunity for reciprocal effects between nutrition and parasitism. Little experimental investigation has been conducted on this “vicious circle” hypothesis in wild animals, especially under natural conditions. We evaluated the reciprocal effects of nutritional status and parasitism using an experimental approach in two groups of wild black capuchin monkeys (Sapajus nigritus). Across two consecutive winters, we collected faecal samples from identified capuchins to determine presence and load of gastrointestinal helminthes, and measured individual body mass as a proxy of physical condition. Food availability was manipulated by provisioning monkeys with bananas, and parasite burdens by applying antiparasitic drugs to selected individuals. We found no effect of antiparasitic drugs on physical condition, but parasite loads decreased in response to high levels of food availability. Our results represent the first experimental evidence that the nutritional status may drive parasite dynamics in a primate.
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19
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Yin B, Li G, Wan X, Shang G, Wei W, Zhang Z. Large manipulative experiments reveal complex effects of food supplementation on population dynamics of Brandt's voles. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2017; 60:911-920. [PMID: 28755298 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-017-9114-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Although food supplementation is well known to increase population density, there is still debate on the causative effects of food supplementation on reproduction, survival, and immigration. Large manipulative experiments, which exclude any confounding effects of dispersal and predation, are essential for clarifying the debate. In this study, we investigated the effects of food supplementation on Brandt's vole population dynamics and plant community in eight large enclosures (0.48 ha each) from 2010 to 2014. Food supplementation showed significant positive effects on population density due to increases in recruitment; however, it showed a complex effect on survival of voles: positive in non-breeding seasons, but negative in breeding seasons. In addition, food supplementation increased the quality of plants (as reflected by increased crude protein content), but decreased the quantity of less preferred plants in experimental enclosures. Thus, food seems to have direct positive effects on small rodents through improvement of food supply and indirect negative effects through food-induced density-dependent effects, and may have long-term effects on rodents through altering plant community composition and abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baofa Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Guoliang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xinrong Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Guozhen Shang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Wanhong Wei
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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20
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Fauteux D, Gauthier G, Berteaux D. Top-down limitation of lemmings revealed by experimental reduction of predators. Ecology 2017; 97:3231-3241. [PMID: 27870031 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
It is generally recognized that delayed density-dependence is responsible for cyclic population dynamics. However, it is still uncertain whether a single factor can explain why some rodent populations fluctuate according to a 3-4 yr periodicity. There is increasing evidence that predation may play a role in lemming population cycles, although this effect may vary seasonally. To address this issue, we conducted an experiment where we built a large exclosure (9 ha) to protect brown lemmings (Lemmus trimucronatus) from avian and terrestrial predators. We tested the hypothesis that predation is a limiting factor for lemmings by measuring the demographic consequences of a predator reduction during the growth and peak phases of the cycle. We assessed summer (capture-mark-recapture methods) and winter (winter nest sampling) lemming demography on two grids located on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada from 2008 to 2015. The predator exclosure became fully effective in July 2013, allowing us to compare demography between the control and experimental grids before and during the treatment. Lemming abundance, survival and proportion of juveniles were similar between the two grids before the treatment. During the predator-reduction period, summer densities were on average 1.9× higher inside the experimental grid than the control and this effect was greatest for adult females and juveniles (densities 2.4× and 3.4× higher, respectively). Summer survival was 1.6× higher on the experimental grid than the control whereas body mass and proportion of juveniles were also slightly higher. Winter nest densities remained high inside the predator reduction grid following high summer abundance, but declined on the control grid. These results confirm that predation limits lemming population growth during the summer due to its negative impact on survival. However, it is possible that in winter, predation may interact with other factors affecting reproduction and ultimately population cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Fauteux
- Department of Biology and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Gilles Gauthier
- Department of Biology and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Dominique Berteaux
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, Québec, G5L 3A1, Canada
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21
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Mathias MDL, Hart EB, Ramalhinho MDG, Jaarola M. Microtus agrestis (Rodentia: Cricetidae). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/mspecies/sex003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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22
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Seasonal dynamics with compensatory effects regulate populations of tropical forest marsupials: a 16-year study. Oecologia 2016; 182:1095-1106. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3735-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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23
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Forbes KM, Mappes T, Sironen T, Strandin T, Stuart P, Meri S, Vapalahti O, Henttonen H, Huitu O. Food limitation constrains host immune responses to nematode infections. Biol Lett 2016; 12:rsbl.2016.0471. [PMID: 27677814 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Trade-offs in the allocation of finite-energy resources among immunological defences and other physiological processes are believed to influence infection risk and disease severity in food-limited wildlife populations. However, this prediction has received little experimental investigation. Here we test the hypothesis that food limitation impairs the ability of wild field voles (Microtus agrestis) to mount an immune response against parasite infections. We conducted a replicated experiment on vole populations maintained in large outdoor enclosures during boreal winter, using food supplementation and anthelmintic treatment of intestinal nematodes. Innate immune responses against intestinal parasite infections were compared between food-supplemented and non-supplemented voles. Voles with high food availability mounted stronger immune responses against intestinal nematode infections than food-limited voles. No food effects were seen in immune responses to intracellular coccidian parasites, possibly owing to their ability to avoid activation of innate immune pathways. Our findings demonstrate that food availability constrains vole immune responses against nematode infections, and support the concept that spatio-temporal heterogeneity in food availability creates variation in infectious disease susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Tarja Sironen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tomas Strandin
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Peter Stuart
- Department of Zoology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Seppo Meri
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Immunobiology Reseach Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olli Vapalahti
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heikki Henttonen
- Forest and Animal Ecology, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Vantaa, Finland
| | - Otso Huitu
- Forest and Animal Ecology, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Vantaa, Finland
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24
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Forbes KM, Henttonen H, Hirvelä-Koski V, Kipar A, Mappes T, Stuart P, Huitu O. Food provisioning alters infection dynamics in populations of a wild rodent. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20151939. [PMID: 26446813 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While pathogens are often assumed to limit the growth of wildlife populations, experimental evidence for their effects is rare. A lack of food resources has been suggested to enhance the negative effects of pathogen infection on host populations, but this theory has received little investigation. We conducted a replicated two-factor enclosure experiment, with introduction of the bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica and food supplementation, to evaluate the individual and interactive effects of pathogen infection and food availability on vole populations during a boreal winter. We show that prior to bacteria introduction, vole populations were limited by food availability. Bordetella bronchiseptica introduction then reduced population growth and abundance, but contrary to predictions, primarily in food supplemented populations. Infection prevalence and pathological changes in vole lungs were most common in food supplemented populations, and are likely to have resulted from increased congregation and bacteria transmission around feeding stations. Bordetella bronchiseptica-infected lungs often showed protozoan co-infection (consistent with Hepatozoon erhardovae), together with more severe inflammatory changes. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this study demonstrates a complex picture of interactions and underlying mechanisms, leading to population-level effects. Our results highlight the potential for food provisioning to markedly influence disease processes in wildlife mammal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian M Forbes
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Suonenjoki, Finland Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | | | - Varpu Hirvelä-Koski
- Production Animal and Wildlife Health Research Unit, Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, Oulu, Finland
| | - Anja Kipar
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Peter Stuart
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Suonenjoki, Finland Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Otso Huitu
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Suonenjoki, Finland
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Kallio ER, Helle H, Koskela E, Mappes T, Vapalahti O. Age-related effects of chronic hantavirus infection on female host fecundity. J Anim Ecol 2015; 84:1264-72. [PMID: 25965086 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
1. Pathogens often cause detrimental effects to their hosts and, consequently, may influence host population dynamics that may, in turn, feed back to pathogen transmission dynamics. Understanding fitness effects of pathogens upon animal host populations can help to predict the risks that zoonotic pathogens pose to humans. 2. Here we determine whether chronic infection by Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) affects important fitness-related traits, namely the probability of breeding, reproductive effort and mother and offspring condition, in the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). Using 9 years empirical data in a PUUV endemic area in Central Finland, we found differences between reproductive characteristics of PUUV-infected and uninfected female bank voles. 3. Young infected females had a significantly higher, and old individuals lower, likelihood of reproducing than uninfected animals during the middle of the breeding season. The implication is that PUUV infection may have long-term deleterious effects that are observed at old age, while in young individuals, the infection may enhance breeding probability by directing resources towards current breeding. 4. Moreover, PUUV infection was related with the mother's body condition. Infected mothers were in poorer condition than uninfected mothers in the early breeding season, but were in better condition than uninfected mothers during the middle of the breeding season. Offspring body condition was positively associated with mother's body condition, which, in turn, was related to the PUUV infection status of the mother. 5. Our findings indicate that chronic infection may affect the reproduction of female hosts, but the effect is dependent on the host age. The effect of chronic hantavirus infection was small and density-independent and hence unlikely to contribute to the cyclic population dynamics of the host. However, the effects on a female's reproductive output might affect the abundance of young susceptible individuals in the population and hence influence the transmission and persistence of the pathogen. Although experimental and long-term capture-mark-recapture studies are required to further clarify the fitness effects of hantavirus infection and their consequences for pathogen dynamics, this study shows that the infection may have complex effects that are dependent on the age of the individual and the time of the breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva R Kallio
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, Jyvaskyla, Finland.,Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Heikki Helle
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - Esa Koskela
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - Olli Vapalahti
- Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.,HUSLAB, Department of Virology and Immunology, Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, FI-00029, Helsinki, Finland
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