Assessing the effects of climate on host-parasite interactions: a comparative study of European birds and their parasites.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Climate change potentially has important effects on distribution, abundance, transmission and virulence of parasites in wild populations of animals.

Methodology/principal finding

Here we analyzed paired information on 89 parasite populations for 24 species of bird hosts some years ago and again in 2010 with an average interval of 10 years. The parasite taxa included protozoa, feather parasites, diptera, ticks, mites and fleas. We investigated whether change in abundance and prevalence of parasites was related to change in body condition, reproduction and population size of hosts. We conducted analyses based on the entire dataset, but also on a restricted dataset with intervals between study years being 5-15 years. Parasite abundance increased over time when restri

SUBMITTER: Moller AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3876993 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature