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Mechanisms of disease-induced extinction
Article first published online: 3 DEC 2004
DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2004.00693.x
Additional Information
How to Cite
De Castro, F. and Bolker, B. (2005), Mechanisms of disease-induced extinction. Ecology Letters, 8: 117–126. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2004.00693.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 3 DEC 2004
- Article first published online: 3 DEC 2004
- Editor, Masakado Kawata Manuscript received 2 August 2004 First decision made 30 August 2004 Manuscript accepted 1 October 2004
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Keywords:
- Dynamics;
- reservoir;
- frequency-dependent;
- parasite;
- spatial;
- specialist
Abstract
Parasites are important determinants of ecological dynamics. Despite the widespread perception that parasites (in the broad sense, including microbial pathogens) threaten species with extinction, the simplest deterministic models of parasite dynamics (i.e. of specialist parasites with density-dependent transmission) predict that parasites will always go extinct before their hosts. We review the primary theoretical mechanisms that allow disease-induced extinction and compare them with the empirical literature on parasitic threats to populations to assess the importance of different mechanisms in threatening natural populations. Small pre-epidemic population size and the presence of reservoirs are the most commonly cited factors for disease-induced extinction in empirical studies.