Parasites in Ecological Communities
From Interactions to Ecosystems

Links community ecology and epidemiology to demonstrate how parasites affect species interactions and consequently ecosystem function, invasions and emerging diseases.

Melanie J. Hatcher (Author), Alison M. Dunn (Author)

9780521718226, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 16 June 2011

464 pages, 113 b/w illus. 7 tables
22.8 x 15.4 x 2.1 cm, 0.72 kg

'This is a very useful book which is likely to have considerable impact in stimulating both theoretical as well as empirical studies on the way in which parasites manipulate and modify the world in which we live. It is particularly recommended to graduate and postgraduate students for its logical, comprehensive layout and the wealth of literature, mostly recent, which is discussed.' Trevor Petney, Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography

Interactions between competitors, predators and their prey have traditionally been viewed as the foundation of community structure. Parasites – long ignored in community ecology – are now recognized as playing an important part in influencing species interactions and consequently affecting ecosystem function. Parasitism can interact with other ecological drivers, resulting in both detrimental and beneficial effects on biodiversity and ecosystem health. Species interactions involving parasites are also key to understanding many biological invasions and emerging infectious diseases. This book bridges the gap between community ecology and epidemiology to create a wide-ranging examination of how parasites and pathogens affect all aspects of ecological communities, enabling the new generation of ecologists to include parasites as a key consideration in their studies. This comprehensive guide to a newly emerging field is of relevance to academics, practitioners and graduates in biodiversity, conservation and population management, and animal and human health.

Part I. Introduction
Part II. Parasites and Competitors: 1. Introduction
2. One host-one parasite systems
3. Apparent competition
4. Parasite-mediated competition
5. Parasite-modified competition
6. Examples from conservation and management
7. Competition between parasites
8. Conclusions
Part III. Parasites and Predators: 9. Introduction
10. Parasites of prey with specialist predators
11. Parasites of prey with generalist predators
12. Parasites of predator
13. Parasites of predator and prey
14. Applications: predator control and harvesting
15. Conclusions
Part IV. Parasites and Intraguild Predation: 16. Introduction
17. Ecological significance of IGP
18. IGP as a unifying framework for competition and predation
19. Parasites intrinsic to IGP
20. Parasites extrinsic to IGP
21. Models of parasitism extrinsic to IGP
22. IGP and the evolution of host-parasite relationships
23. Conclusions
Part V. Plant Pathogens and Parasitic Plants: 24. Introduction: parasitism of plants
25. Soil borne pathogens
26. Plant defence strategies
27. Parasitic plants
28. Endophytes
29. Conclusions
Part VI. Parasites and Invasions: 30. Introduction
31. Parasite introduction and acquisition
32. Loss of parasites by invaders: enemy release
33. Invasions and host-parasite co-evolution
34. The impact of parasitism on biological invasion
35. Conclusions
Part VII. Ecosystem Parasitology: 36. Introduction
37. Trophic cascades
38. Parasite dynamics in multihost communities
39. Biodiversity and disease
40. Parasites in the food web
41. Bioenergetic implications of parasitism
42. Ecosystem engineering
43. Ecosystem health
44. Evolutionary considerations
45. Conclusions
Part VIII. Emerging Diseases in Humans and Wildlife: 46. Introduction
47. The process of disease emergence
48. The evolution of emergence
49. Phylogenetic and temporal patterns of emergence
50. Environmental change and emergence
51. Conservation and control
52. Conclusions
Part IX. Where Do We Go From Here?
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Animal ecology [PSVS], Plant ecology [PSTS], Parasitology [non-medical PSGH], Ecological science, the Biosphere [PSAF]