Gillespie Thomas R, Chapman Colin A
Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA.
Am J Primatol. 2008 Mar;70(3):222-30. doi: 10.1002/ajp.20475.
Forest fragmentation may alter host-parasite interactions in ways that contribute to host population declines. We tested this prediction by examining parasite infections and the abundance of infective helminths in 20 forest fragments and in unfragmented forest in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Over 4 years, the endangered red colobus (Procolobus rufomitratus) declined by 20% in fragments, whereas the black-and-white colobus (Colobus guereza) in fragments and populations of both colobines in unfragmented forest remained relatively stable. Seven nematodes (Strongyloides fulleborni, Strongyloides stercoralis, Oesophagostomum sp., an unidentified strongyle, Trichuris sp., Ascaris sp., and Colobenterobius sp.), one cestode (Bertiella sp.), and three protozoans (Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, and Giardia sp.) were detected. Infection prevalence and the magnitude of multiple infections were greater for red colobus in fragmented than in unfragmented forest, but these parameters did not differ between forests for black-and-white colobus. Infective-stage colobus parasites occurred at higher densities in fragmented compared with unfragmented forest, demonstrating greater infection risk for fragmented populations. There was little evidence that the nature of the infection was related to the size of the fragment, the density of the host, or the nature of the infection in the other colobine, despite the fact that many of the parasites are considered generalists. This study suggests that forest fragmentation can alter host-parasite dynamics and demonstrates that such changes can correspond with changes in host population size in forest fragments.
森林碎片化可能会以导致宿主种群数量下降的方式改变宿主 - 寄生虫的相互作用。我们通过检查乌干达基巴莱国家公园20个森林碎片和未碎片化森林中的寄生虫感染情况以及感染性蠕虫的丰度来验证这一预测。在4年多的时间里，濒危的红疣猴（Procolobus rufomitratus）在森林碎片中的数量下降了20%，而森林碎片中的黑白疣猴（Colobus guereza）以及未碎片化森林中两种疣猴的数量则保持相对稳定。共检测到7种线虫（富氏类圆线虫、粪类圆线虫、结节线虫属一种未鉴定的圆线虫、鞭虫属一种、蛔虫属一种和疣猴肠线虫属）、1种绦虫（伯特绦虫属）和3种原生动物（结肠内阿米巴、溶组织内阿米巴/迪斯帕内阿米巴和贾第虫属）。碎片化森林中的红疣猴感染率和多重感染的程度高于未碎片化森林，但这些参数在黑白疣猴的不同森林之间没有差异。与未碎片化森林相比，感染阶段的疣猴寄生虫在碎片化森林中的密度更高，这表明碎片化种群面临更大的感染风险。几乎没有证据表明感染的性质与碎片大小、宿主密度或另一种疣猴的感染性质有关，尽管许多寄生虫被认为是多宿主寄生虫。这项研究表明，森林碎片化会改变宿主 - 寄生虫动态，并表明这种变化可能与森林碎片中宿主种群数量的变化相对应。
