Title |
Nematomorph parasites indirectly alter the food web and ecosystem function of streams through behavioural manipulation of their cricket hosts
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Published in |
Ecology Letters, May 2012
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DOI | 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01798.x |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Takuya Sato, Tomohiro Egusa, Keitaro Fukushima, Tomoki Oda, Nobuhito Ohte, Naoko Tokuchi, Katsutoshi Watanabe, Minoru Kanaiwa, Isaya Murakami, Kevin D. Lafferty |
Abstract |
Nematomorph parasites manipulate crickets to enter streams where the parasites reproduce. These manipulated crickets become a substantial food subsidy for stream fishes. We used a field experiment to investigate how this subsidy affects the stream community and ecosystem function. When crickets were available, predatory fish ate fewer benthic invertebrates. The resulting release of the benthic invertebrate community from fish predation indirectly decreased the biomass of benthic algae and slightly increased leaf break-down rate. This is the first experimental demonstration that host manipulation by a parasite can reorganise a community and alter ecosystem function. Nematomorphs are common, and many other parasites have dramatic effects on host phenotypes, suggesting that similar effects of parasites on ecosystems might be widespread. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Japan | 9 | 26% |
China | 1 | 3% |
United States | 1 | 3% |
Unknown | 24 | 69% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 34 | 97% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 1 | 3% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 6 | 2% |
South Africa | 3 | 1% |
France | 2 | <1% |
Germany | 2 | <1% |
Japan | 2 | <1% |
Brazil | 1 | <1% |
Canada | 1 | <1% |
New Zealand | 1 | <1% |
Mexico | 1 | <1% |
Other | 5 | 2% |
Unknown | 240 | 91% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 55 | 21% |
Researcher | 52 | 20% |
Student > Bachelor | 38 | 14% |
Student > Master | 29 | 11% |
Professor | 14 | 5% |
Other | 40 | 15% |
Unknown | 36 | 14% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 126 | 48% |
Environmental Science | 57 | 22% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 11 | 4% |
Earth and Planetary Sciences | 6 | 2% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 3 | 1% |
Other | 17 | 6% |
Unknown | 44 | 17% |