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The effects of space and energy on parasite communities
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Grunberg, Rita L.. The effects of space and energy on parasite communities. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-z871-mf40

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TitleThe effects of space and energy on parasite communities
NameGrunberg, Rita L. (author); Morin, Peter J (chair); John-Alder, Henry (internal member); Winfree, Rachael (internal member); Zelmer, Derek (outside member); Rutgers University; School of Graduate Studies
Date Created2019
Other Date2019-10 (degree)
SubjectEcology and Evolution, Allometry, Parasites -- Variation
Extent1 online resource (xvi, 125 pages) : illustrations
DescriptionParasites are ubiquitous in nature, and yet their contribution to biodiversity and ecosystem processes is poorly understood. This knowledge gap has provoked a plea to include parasites into ecosystem ecology. Still, incorporating parasites into our purview of ecology is a nuanced task because it requires the careful consideration of the spatial scale of host-parasite interactions and the use of common ecological currencies. In this dissertation, I explore the effects of host community structure, spatial scales and energetics on patterns in parasite assemblages.
First, I test for concordance between the patterns of similarity of parasite assemblages, host communities and environmental factors. I used multivariate tests to assess if parasite assemblages mirror changes that occur along a stream width gradient in two riverine ecosystems. Overall, I observed no concordance between patterns in parasites and hosts assemblages suggesting that parasites and their hosts are not responding similarly to changes in environmental factors that occur along rivers.
Next, I contrast patterns in parasite body size-density relationships at different spatial scales to highlight scale sensitivity in macroecological patterns. Here, I varied the focus of the analysis (e.g. local and global) and spatial grain of the data (e.g. parasite populations nested within their host or within an ecosystem). At local scales, I found wide variation in the relationship between parasite density and body size, while the global analysis generally fit the pattern posited by theory. However, this result was also contingent on how parasite populations were delineated. Given these results, I advocate for a more consistent use of spatial scales that reflect the processes generating the pattern being tested.
Last, I extend ideas from the metabolic theory of ecology to develop scaling relationships that explain the energetics of parasite communities nested within their hosts and ecosystems. Across host species, I found parasite community-level energetics scales allometrically with host energetics. At the ecosystem-level, wide variation in parasite productivity is better explained by host productivity rather than host biomass measures, suggesting that accounting for variation in how hosts and parasite use energy need to be considered in the future.
My research approach broadly demonstrates ways to link parasite diversity and energetics to their hosts across biological scales and provides new avenues of research to incorporate parasites into metabolic theory.
NotePh.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Genretheses, ETD doctoral
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-z871-mf40
LanguageEnglish
CollectionSchool of Graduate Studies Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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