Is a healthy ecosystem one that is rich in parasites?
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Abstract
Historically, the role of parasites in ecosystem functioning has been considered trivial because a cursory examination reveals that their relative biomass is low compared with that of other trophic groups. However there is increasing evidence that parasite-mediated effects could be significant: they shape host population dynamics, alter interspecific competition, influence energy flow and appear to be important drivers of biodiversity. Indeed they influence a range of ecosystem functions and have a major effect on the structure of some food webs. Here, we consider the bottom-up and top-down processes of how parasitism influences ecosystem functioning and show that there is evidence that parasites are important for biodiversity and production; thus, we consider a healthy system to be one that is rich in parasite species.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Is a healthy ecosystem one that is rich in parasites? |
| Series title | Trends in Ecology and Evolution |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.tree.2006.04.007 |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue | 7 |
| Year Published | 2006 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Cell Press |
| Contributing office(s) | Western Ecological Research Center |
| Description | 5 p. |
| First page | 381 |
| Last page | 385 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |