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The Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases in Daphnia

  • Chapter
Vertical Food Web Interactions

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 130))

Abstract

Parasites and pathogens may be directly or indirectly involved in the ecology and evolution of a broad range of phenomena: population dynamics and extinctions, maintenance of genetic diversity and sexual selection, to name just a few. Certainly parasites — here broadly defined to include viruses, bacteria, protozoa and helminths — possess features which make them very attractive as explanatory factors in the evolution and ecology of their host. These features include their typically narrow host range, the adverse effects parasites have on host fecundity and survival, and the density dependence of transmission (Hassell and May 1973; Anderson and May 1979, 1991; May and Anderson 1979). However, the bulk of available information stems from theoretical and laboratory studies, while studies in natural populations are scarce. For example, experimental approaches give clear support for density dependence of transmission (Blower and Roughgarden 1989; Ebert 1995; D’Amico et al. 1996; Knell et al. 1996), but there exists very little data showing density-dependent transmission in natural populations (Dobson and Hudson 1986; Scott and Dobson 1989). Similarly, although laboratory studies have demonstrated a clear effect of parasites on host density (Sait et al. 1994; Mangin et al. 1995), reports of parasite-mediated reduction of host density in the field are rare (Dobson and Hudson 1986; Scott and Dobson 1989). It is essential for our understanding of host-parasite interactions to compliment the results of laboratory work with data from natural populations.

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Authors
  1. D. Ebert
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  2. R. J. H. Payne
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  3. W. W. Weisser
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Lehrstuhl für Tierökologie II, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, D-95440, Bayreuth, Germany

    Konrad Dettner

  2. Institut für Biologie I, Universität Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany

    Gerhard Bauer

  3. Lehrstuhl für Tierökologie I, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, D-95440, Bayreuth, Germany

    Wolfgang Völkl

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© 1997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Ebert, D., Payne, R.J.H., Weisser, W.W. (1997). The Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases in Daphnia . In: Dettner, K., Bauer, G., Völkl, W. (eds) Vertical Food Web Interactions. Ecological Studies, vol 130. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60725-7_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60725-7_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-64528-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-60725-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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