Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
Oecologia. 2024 Aug;205(3-4):681-689. doi: 10.1007/s00442-024-05603-1. Epub 2024 Aug 5.
Parasites comprise a substantial portion of global biodiversity and play critical roles in shaping ecosystems by modulating trophic networks and affecting their hosts' abundance and distribution. The dynamics of host migration introduce new complexity to these relationships. From the host perspective, migratory behavior can either act as a defense mechanism or augment exposure to a broader spectrum of pathogens. Conversely, for parasites, host migration represents a mechanism for their dispersion and an opportunity to infect new host species. This study investigates the complex interplay between migration and parasite-host interactions, focusing on the interaction between hosts and avian malaria and malaria-like parasites in the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest. We captured 1466 birds representing 70 different species, uncovering 322 infections with Plasmodium/Haemoproteus parasites. We observed variations in migration timing and fluctuations in host abundance across months. By comparing the observed patterns of interaction of migratory and non-migratory birds to patterns of interaction expected at random, we show that migration affects the roles hosts take in the parasite-host network. Interestingly, despite the fact migratory species hosted more exclusive and distinct parasites, migrants did not occupy central network positions, which are mostly occupied by resident birds. Overall, we highlight the role of resident birds as a key species within parasite-host communities and the high specialization among avian haemosporidians and their hosts.
寄生虫构成了全球生物多样性的重要组成部分，通过调节营养网络并影响其宿主的丰度和分布，在塑造生态系统方面发挥着关键作用。宿主迁移的动态为这些关系带来了新的复杂性。从宿主的角度来看，迁移行为既可以作为防御机制，也可以增加暴露于更广泛的病原体的机会。相反，对于寄生虫来说，宿主迁移代表了它们传播的一种机制，也是感染新宿主物种的机会。本研究调查了迁移和寄生虫-宿主相互作用之间的复杂相互作用，重点研究了巴西大西洋雨林中宿主与鸟类疟疾和类似疟疾寄生虫之间的相互作用。我们捕获了 1466 只代表 70 个不同物种的鸟类，发现了 322 种疟原虫/血鞭毛虫寄生虫感染。我们观察到迁移时间的变化和宿主丰度在几个月内的波动。通过比较候鸟和非候鸟的相互作用模式与随机预期的相互作用模式，我们表明迁移会影响宿主在寄生虫-宿主网络中所扮演的角色。有趣的是，尽管迁徙物种携带更多独特和独特的寄生虫，但它们并没有占据网络中心位置，而这些位置主要由留鸟占据。总体而言，我们强调了留鸟作为寄生虫-宿主群落中的关键物种的作用，以及鸟类血孢子虫及其宿主之间的高度专业化。
