Parasitism and Ecosystems

✍ Scribed by Frédéric Thomas, François Renaud, Jean-François Guégan

• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 232
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

For several years there has been a growing interest in understanding the dynamics of parasites in ecosystems, as well as the diversity of ways in which they influence ecosystem functioning through their effects on host populations and communities. Ecologists, epidemiologists, evolutionary biologists, and other scientists are increasingly coming to realise that parasites must be taken into account when studying ecosystems. Parasitism and Ecosystems summarizes current knowledge on this topic, providing a comprehensive overview for researchers and students. It represents the first synthesis of both the roles and the consequences of pathogens in ecosystems, utilizing well-documented case-studies to illustrate the main issues as well as identifying prospects for future research.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Halftitle......Page 2
Inside Cover......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
Contents......Page 8
Contributors......Page 10
INTRODUCTION: Parasites, diversity, and theecosystem......Page 12
CHAPTER 1: Linking ecosystem and parasite ecology......Page 24
CHAPTER 2: Are there general laws in parasite community ecology? The emergence of spatial parasitology and epidemiology......Page 33
CHAPTER 3: Parasitism and the regulation of host populations......Page 54
CHAPTER 4: Food web patterns and the parasite’s perspective......Page 65
CHAPTER 5: Ecosystems and parasitism: the spatial dimension......Page 79
CHAPTER 6: Parasitism and hostile environments......Page 96
CHAPTER 7: Parasitism and environmental disturbances......Page 124
CHAPTER 8: Parasitism, biodiversity, and conservation......Page 135
CHAPTER 9: Subverting hosts and diverting ecosystems: an evolutionary modelling perspective......Page 151
CHAPTER 10: Parasitism in man-made ecosystems......Page 166
CONCLUSION: Parasites, communities, and ecosystems: conclusions and perspectives......Page 182
References......Page 188
Index......Page 228