The drivers of avian-haemosporidian prevalence in tropical lowland forests of New Guinea in three dimensions.

ABSTRACT: Haemosporidians are among the most common parasites of birds and often negatively impact host fitness. A multitude of biotic and abiotic factors influence these associations, but the magnitude of these factors can differ by spatial scales (i.e., local, regional and global). Consequently, to better understand global and regional drivers of avian-haemosporidian associations, it is key to investigate these associations at smaller (local) spatial scales. Thus, here, we explore the effect of abiotic variables (e.g., temperature, forest structure, and anthropogenic disturbances) on haemosporidian prevalence and host-parasite networks on a horizontal spatial scale, comparing four fragmented forests and five localities within a continuous forest in Papua New Guinea. Additionally, we investigate if

SUBMITTER: Vinagre-Izquierdo C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8844478 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature