European red squirrel population dynamics driven by squirrelpox at a gray squirrel invasion interface.

ABSTRACT: Infectious disease introduced by non-native species is increasingly cited as a facilitator of native population declines, but direct evidence may be lacking due to inadequate population and disease prevalence data surrounding an outbreak. Previous indirect evidence and theoretical models support squirrelpox virus (SQPV) as being potentially involved in the decline of red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) following the introduction of the non-native gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) to the United Kingdom. The red squirrel is a major UK conservation concern and understanding its continuing decline is important for any attempt to mitigate the decline. The red squirrel-gray squirrel system is also exemplary of the interplay between infectious disease (apparent competition) and direct competition

SUBMITTER: Chantrey J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4301051 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature