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Population density and phenotypic attributes influence the level of nematode parasitism in roe deer

  • Population ecology - Original Paper
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Abstract

The impact of parasites on population dynamics is well documented, but less is known on how host population density affects parasite spread. This relationship is difficult to assess because of confounding effects of social structure, population density, and environmental conditions that lead to biased among-population comparisons. Here, we analyzed the infestation by two groups of nematodes (gastro-intestinal (GI) strongyles and Trichuris) in the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) population of Trois Fontaines (France) between 1997 and 2007. During this period, we experimentally manipulated population density through changes in removals. Using measures collected on 297 individuals, we quantified the impact of density on parasite spread after taking into account possible influences of date, age, sex, body mass, and weather conditions. The prevalence and abundance of eggs of both parasites in females were positively related to roe deer density, except Trichuris in adult females. We also found a negative relationship between parasitism and body mass, and strong age and sex-dependent patterns of parasitism. Prime-age adults were less often parasitized and had lower fecal egg counts than fawns or old individuals, and males were more heavily and more often infected than females. Trichuris parasites were not affected by weather, whereas GI strongyles were less present after dry and hot summers. In the range of observed densities, the observed effect of density likely involves a variation of the exposure rate, as opposed to variation in host susceptibility.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Guillaume Gayet, Sophie Rossi, Sonia Saïd and Anne Viallefont for helpful discussions. The authors would like to thank the ONCFS technical staff (Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage) of Trois-Fontaines and Marie-Eve Terrier for their help in providing samples. The authors would also like to thank Jérôme Depaquit and Monique Boutry for their technical help in fecal egg examinations. Financial support for this study was provided by ONCFS.

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  1. Guillaume Body

    Present address: Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, UMR5558 Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, 43 Bd du 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France

    Guillaume Body, Jean-Michel Gaillard & Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont

  2. JE 2533-USC ANSES « VECPAR » UFR de Pharmacie, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 51 rue Cognacq-Jay, 51096, Reims, France

    Hubert Ferté

  3. Centre National d’Etude et de Recherche Appliquées sur les Cervidés-Sangliers, Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, 1 Place Exelmans, 55000, Bar-le-Duc, France

    Daniel Delorme & François Klein

  4. VetAgro Sup, Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Santé Publique Vétérinaire, Université de Lyon, 69280, Marcy l’Etoile, France

    Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont

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  1. Guillaume Body
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  2. Hubert Ferté
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  3. Jean-Michel Gaillard
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  4. Daniel Delorme
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  6. Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont
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Correspondence to Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont.

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Communicated by Herwig Leirs.

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Body, G., Ferté, H., Gaillard, JM. et al. Population density and phenotypic attributes influence the level of nematode parasitism in roe deer. Oecologia 167, 635–646 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-011-2018-9

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