Cross-continental comparison of parasite communities in a wide-ranging carnivore suggests associations with prey diversity and host density.

ABSTRACT: Parasites are integral to ecosystem functioning yet often overlooked. Improved understanding of host-parasite associations is important, particularly for wide-ranging species for which host range shifts and climate change could alter host-parasite interactions and their effects on ecosystem function.Among the most widely distributed mammals with diverse diets, gray wolves (Canis lupus) host parasites that are transmitted among canids and via prey species. Wolf-parasite associations may therefore influence the population dynamics and ecological functions of both wolves and their prey. Our goal was to identify large-scale processes that shape host-parasite interactions across populations, with the wolf as a model organism.By compiling data from various studies, we examined the fecal p

SUBMITTER: Stronen AV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8328421 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature