Present address: ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH, Boettgerstr. 2-14, 65439 Flörsheim a.M., Germany.
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Local exposure shapes spatial patterns in infectivity and community structure of Daphnia parasites
Article first published online: 24 JUN 2010
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2010.01718.x
© 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 British Ecological Society
Additional Information
How to Cite
Jansen, M., Stoks, R., Decaestecker, E., Coors, A., Van De Meutter, F. and De Meester, L. (2010), Local exposure shapes spatial patterns in infectivity and community structure of Daphnia parasites. Journal of Animal Ecology, 79: 1023–1033. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2010.01718.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 5 AUG 2010
- Article first published online: 24 JUN 2010
- Received 6 December 2009; accepted 23 May 2010 Handling Editor: Rob Knell
Keywords:
- infection rates;
- parasite community structure;
- spore availability
Summary
1. Spatial patterns in parasite community structure are probably driven by the availability of infectious stages. This is because hosts become infected through picking up infectious stages from their environment. Several studies have, however, reported strong genotype by genotype interactions and parasite-mediated selection in hosts. This leads to the prediction of a parasite by host population interaction with respect to infection rates and intensities, which may also shape spatial patterns in parasite community structure.
2. Using the water flea Daphnia magna and its microparasites as a model, we carried out a laboratory experiment to test explicitly to what extent parasite community structure in host populations is determined by the availability of infectious stages in the sediment they are exposed to, and to what extent host population identity and location play a role.
3. We exposed 10 D. magna host populations each to sediment of their own habitat and sediment of the other nine habitats, and monitored the parasite community of the resulting experimental populations.
4. Sediment seems to be a strong determinant of parasite infection rates, while there was no overall effect of host population. Sympatric parasite and host population combinations did in most cases not result in significantly different infection rates than allopatric parasite and host combinations. Our results indicate that spore availability could be the key variable determining parasite community structure in natural Daphnia populations.