Parasite-Mediated Competition Limits Dominant Cervid Competitor.

ABSTRACT: Species interactions structure ecological communities through direct and indirect pathways with ecosystem-wide implications. Despite mounting interest in the importance of indirect interactions, empirical evidence remains limited. Here, we demonstrate the critical role of parasite-mediated competition in driving community outcomes in a multi-species system of conservation and management concern. We leveraged 2 years of detection/non-detection data of moose (Alces alces) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and parasite loads in faecal samples within a hierarchical abundance-mediated interaction model to test hypotheses regarding interactions between these cervids and their shared parasites (Parelaphostrongylus tenuis, Fascioloides magna). We demonstrate that moose occupancy was l

SUBMITTER: Grauer JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12188285 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature