Dense aquatic vegetation can reduce parasite transmission to amphibians

Marin Milotic; Dino Milotic; Janet Koprivnikar

doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.11.003

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Dense aquatic vegetation can reduce parasite transmission to amphibians

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Dense aquatic vegetation can reduce parasite transmission to amphibians

Marin Milotic, Dino Milotic and Janet Koprivnikar

International journal for parasitology, Vol.55(2), pp.95-102

2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.11.003

PMID: 39521166

Appears in Open Access via Read & Publish Agreements

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Abstract

Algae

Cercariae

Interference

Macrophyte

Obstruction

Primary producer

Submerged aquatic vegetation (macrophytes) can provide prey with refuges from predators and may perform a similar role for interactions with other natural enemies such as parasites. This could occur by interfering with the ability of free-swimming infectious parasite stages to locate or move towards hosts, reducing infections. Alternatively, infections may increase if macrophytes reduce host anti-parasite behaviours such as detection or evasion. Both scenarios could be affected by macrophyte density and structural complexity. Here we investigated whether experimental infection of tadpoles (Rana sylvatica and Rana pipiens) by parasitic flatworms (the trematodes Ribeiroia ondatrae and Echinostoma spp. was affected by the presence of artificial vegetation with varying density and complexity (simple versus branching), as well as tadpole activity under these conditions. Macrophyte presence significantly reduced tadpole infection loads only in the highest density treatment, but there was no effect of structural complexity. Related to this, tadpoles spent significantly more time near aquatic vegetation when it was dense but showed no preference for either structural type. Our results indicate that aquatic vegetation can reduce parasite transmission in certain scenarios, with further studies needed to explore how structural complexity in natural systems can affect host-parasite interactions, considering the massive physical alterations possible through eutrophication and the introduction of invasive plant species. [Display omitted]

Details

Title: Dense aquatic vegetation can reduce parasite transmission to amphibians
Authors/Creators: Marin Milotic - Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Dino Milotic - Murdoch University
Janet Koprivnikar - Toronto Metropolitan University
Publication Details: International journal for parasitology, Vol.55(2), pp.95-102
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Australian Society for Parasitology.
Identifiers: 991005720669307891
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Agricultural Sciences
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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