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Sublethal effects of parasitism on ruminants can have cascading consequences for ecosystems
Parasitic infections are common, but how they shape ecosystem-level processes is understudied. Using a mathematical model and meta-analysis, we explored the potential for helminth parasites to trigger trophic cascades through lethal and sublethal effects imposed on herbivorous ruminant hosts after i...
Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
National Academy of Sciences
2022
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9171767/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35533278 http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2117381119 |
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author | Koltz, Amanda M. Civitello, David J. Becker, Daniel J. Deem, Sharon L. Classen, Aimée T. Barton, Brandon Brenn-White, Maris Johnson, Zoë E. Kutz, Susan Malishev, Matthew Preston, Daniel L. Vannatta, J. Trevor Penczykowski, Rachel M. Ezenwa, Vanessa O. |
author_facet | Koltz, Amanda M. Civitello, David J. Becker, Daniel J. Deem, Sharon L. Classen, Aimée T. Barton, Brandon Brenn-White, Maris Johnson, Zoë E. Kutz, Susan Malishev, Matthew Preston, Daniel L. Vannatta, J. Trevor Penczykowski, Rachel M. Ezenwa, Vanessa O. |
author_sort | Koltz, Amanda M. |
collection | PubMed |
description | Parasitic infections are common, but how they shape ecosystem-level processes is understudied. Using a mathematical model and meta-analysis, we explored the potential for helminth parasites to trigger trophic cascades through lethal and sublethal effects imposed on herbivorous ruminant hosts after infection. First, using the model, we linked negative effects of parasitic infection on host survival, fecundity, and feeding rate to host and producer biomass. Our model, parameterized with data from a well-documented producer–caribou–helminth system, reveals that even moderate impacts of parasites on host survival, fecundity, or feeding rate can have cascading effects on ruminant host and producer biomass. Second, using meta-analysis, we investigated the links between helminth infections and traits of free-living ruminant hosts in nature. We found that helminth infections tend to exert negative but sublethal effects on ruminant hosts. Specifically, infection significantly reduces host feeding rates, body mass, and body condition but has weak and highly variable effects on survival and fecundity. Together, these findings suggest that while helminth parasites can trigger trophic cascades through multiple mechanisms, overlooked sublethal effects on nonreproductive traits likely dominate their impacts on ecosystems. In particular, by reducing ruminant herbivory, pervasive helminth infections may contribute to a greener world. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-9171767 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2022 |
publisher | National Academy of Sciences |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-91717672022-06-08 Sublethal effects of parasitism on ruminants can have cascading consequences for ecosystems Koltz, Amanda M. Civitello, David J. Becker, Daniel J. Deem, Sharon L. Classen, Aimée T. Barton, Brandon Brenn-White, Maris Johnson, Zoë E. Kutz, Susan Malishev, Matthew Preston, Daniel L. Vannatta, J. Trevor Penczykowski, Rachel M. Ezenwa, Vanessa O. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Biological Sciences Parasitic infections are common, but how they shape ecosystem-level processes is understudied. Using a mathematical model and meta-analysis, we explored the potential for helminth parasites to trigger trophic cascades through lethal and sublethal effects imposed on herbivorous ruminant hosts after infection. First, using the model, we linked negative effects of parasitic infection on host survival, fecundity, and feeding rate to host and producer biomass. Our model, parameterized with data from a well-documented producer–caribou–helminth system, reveals that even moderate impacts of parasites on host survival, fecundity, or feeding rate can have cascading effects on ruminant host and producer biomass. Second, using meta-analysis, we investigated the links between helminth infections and traits of free-living ruminant hosts in nature. We found that helminth infections tend to exert negative but sublethal effects on ruminant hosts. Specifically, infection significantly reduces host feeding rates, body mass, and body condition but has weak and highly variable effects on survival and fecundity. Together, these findings suggest that while helminth parasites can trigger trophic cascades through multiple mechanisms, overlooked sublethal effects on nonreproductive traits likely dominate their impacts on ecosystems. In particular, by reducing ruminant herbivory, pervasive helminth infections may contribute to a greener world. National Academy of Sciences 2022-05-09 2022-05-17 /pmc/articles/PMC9171767/ /pubmed/35533278 http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2117381119 Text en Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by PNAS. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This open access article is distributed under Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) . |
spellingShingle | Biological Sciences Koltz, Amanda M. Civitello, David J. Becker, Daniel J. Deem, Sharon L. Classen, Aimée T. Barton, Brandon Brenn-White, Maris Johnson, Zoë E. Kutz, Susan Malishev, Matthew Preston, Daniel L. Vannatta, J. Trevor Penczykowski, Rachel M. Ezenwa, Vanessa O. Sublethal effects of parasitism on ruminants can have cascading consequences for ecosystems |
title | Sublethal effects of parasitism on ruminants can have cascading consequences for ecosystems |
title_full | Sublethal effects of parasitism on ruminants can have cascading consequences for ecosystems |
title_fullStr | Sublethal effects of parasitism on ruminants can have cascading consequences for ecosystems |
title_full_unstemmed | Sublethal effects of parasitism on ruminants can have cascading consequences for ecosystems |
title_short | Sublethal effects of parasitism on ruminants can have cascading consequences for ecosystems |
title_sort | sublethal effects of parasitism on ruminants can have cascading consequences for ecosystems |
topic | Biological Sciences |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9171767/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35533278 http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2117381119 |
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