Scale dependencies and generalism in host use shape virus prevalence.

ABSTRACT: Processes that generate the distribution of pathogens and their interactions with hosts are not insensitive to changes in spatial scale. Spatial scales and species traits are often selected intentionally, based on practical considerations, ignoring biases that the scale and type of observation may introduce. Specifically, these biases might change the interpretation of disease-diversity relationships that are reported as either 'dilution' or 'amplification' effects. Here, we combine field data of a host-pathogen community with empirical models to test the effects that (i) spatial scale and (ii) host range have on the relationship between plant-virus infection prevalence and diversity. We show that prevalence-diversity relationships are scale-dependent and can produce opposite effects assoc

SUBMITTER: McLeish M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5745412 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature