Hudson P J, Dobson A P, Newborn D
Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK. NJ 08544-1003, USA.
Science. 1998 Dec 18;282(5397):2256-8. doi: 10.1126/science.282.5397.2256.
The regular cyclic fluctuations in vertebrate numbers have intrigued scientists for more than 70 years, and yet the cause of such cycles has not been clearly demonstrated. Red grouse populations in Britain exhibit cyclic fluctuations in abundance, with periodic crashes. The hypothesis that these fluctuations are caused by the impact of a nematode parasite on host fecundity was tested by experimentally reducing parasite burdens in grouse. Treatment of the grouse population prevented population crashes, demonstrating that parasites were the cause of the cyclic fluctuations.
脊椎动物数量的周期性循环波动已经吸引科学家70多年了，然而这种循环的原因尚未得到明确证实。英国的红松鸡种群数量呈现出周期性波动，并伴有周期性的骤减。通过实验减少松鸡体内的寄生虫负担，对这些波动是由一种线虫寄生虫对宿主繁殖力的影响所导致的这一假设进行了检验。对松鸡种群的处理防止了种群数量的骤减，这表明寄生虫是周期性波动的原因。
