Drivers of variation in species impacts for a multi-host fungal disease of bats.

ABSTRACT: Disease can play an important role in structuring species communities because the effects of disease vary among hosts; some species are driven towards extinction, while others suffer relatively little impact. Why disease impacts vary among host species remains poorly understood for most multi-host pathogens, and factors allowing less-susceptible species to persist could be useful in conserving highly affected species. White-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging fungal disease of bats, has decimated some species while sympatric and closely related species have experienced little effect. We analysed data on infection prevalence, fungal loads and environmental factors to determine how variation in infection among sympatric host species influenced the severity of WNS population impacts. Intense tra

SUBMITTER: Langwig KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5095535 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature