Parasitism and Ecosystems

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, utilising well-documented case-studies to illustrate the main issues as well as identifying prospects for future research.

Peter Hudson: Introduction: Parasites, diversity, and the ecosystem; 1: Michel Loreau, Jacques Roy, and David Tilman: Linking ecosystem and parasite ecology; 2: J.-F. Gu?gan, S. Morand, and R. Poulin: Are there general laws in parasite community ecology? The emergence of spatial parasitology and epidemiology; 3: Anders Pape M?ller: Parasitism and the regulation of host populations; 4: Michael V.K. Sukhdeo and Alexander D. Hernandez: Food web patterns and the parasite's perspective; 5: Robert Holt and Thierry Boulinier: Ecosystems and parasitism: the spatial dimension; 6: Richard C. Tinsley: Parasitism and hostile environments; 7: Kevin D. Lafferty and Armand M. Kuris: Parasitism and environmental disturbances; 8: Fr?d?ric Thomas, Michael B. Bonsall, and Andy P. Dobson: Parasitism, biodiversity, and conservation; 9: Sam P. Brown, Jean-Baptiste Andr?, Jean-Baptiste Ferdy, and Bernard Godelle: Subverting hosts and diverting ecosystems: an evolutionary modelling perspective; 10: Fran?ois Renaud, Thierry De Mee?s, and Andrew F. Read: Parasitism in man-made ecosystems; Gary G. Mittelbach: Conclusion: Parasites, communities, and ecosystems: conclusions and perspectives; References; Index