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The restoration of parasites, parasitoids and pathogens to heathland communities

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 22:44 authored by Kate S E Henson, Paul G Craze, Jane Memmott
Higher trophic level species such as parasites, parasitoids, and pathogens are frequently ignored in community studies, despite playing key roles in the structure, function, and stability of ecological communities. Furthermore, such species are typically among the last in a community to reestablish due to their reliance upon lower trophic level resources and a requirement for persistent, stable ecological conditions. Consequently their presence alone can be indicative of healthy ecosystems. Using replicated, quantitative food webs we studied the impacts of a restoration treatment upon the interactions of a tri-trophic community consisting of plants, their bumble bee pollinators, and the parasites, parasitoids, and pathogens of the bumble bees at heathland sites. We found the lower trophic levels of the community successfully reinstated at restored relative to control sites. However the abundance, load per host, prevalence of parasitism, prevalence of superparasitism, and host range of a key dipteran parasitoid of the family Conopidae were all significantly reduced in restored heathlands. Potential causes for this incomplete reestablishment at restored sites include the lag in floral resources due to differences in floral species composition, and the reduced ability of this parasitoid species in accessing host resources relative to other natural enemy species present in these communities. Moreover the incomplete reinstatement of the natural enemy community was found to significantly reduce levels of network vulnerability (a measure of how vulnerable prey is to being consumed) at restored sites relative to ancient, control networks

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Ecology

ISSN

0012-9658

Publisher

Ecological Society of America

Issue

7

Volume

90

Page range

1840-1851

Department affiliated with

  • Biology and Environmental Science Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2013-02-11

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