A5070777564- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Zoonotic diseases and public health
- Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology Models
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Ecology and Conservation Studies
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Plant Pathogens and Resistance
- Plant and animal studies
- Myxozoan Parasites in Aquatic Species
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Cancer Cells and Metastasis
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
University of Georgia
2020-2025
University of Minnesota
2018-2024
University of Mary
2023
National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center
2023
Indiana University
2016-2022
University of Windsor
2021
Indiana University Bloomington
2012-2019
John Wiley & Sons (United States)
2016-2017
Ecological Society of America
2016-2017
Washington University in St. Louis
2011-2013
Summary Invasive organisms and emerging wildlife disease pose two of the greatest threats to global biodiversity ecosystem functioning. Typically, when parasites are considered in invasion biology, it is context enemy release hypothesis, wherein a non‐indigenous species has greater probability success by virtue leaving its natural enemies, including parasites, behind. It also possible that native may prevent invasions, but clear invasive bring infectious diseases with them can infect...
Abstract Plant damage by invertebrate herbivores and pathogens influences the dynamics of grassland ecosystems, but anthropogenic changes in nitrogen phosphorus availability can modify these relationships. Using a globally distributed experiment, we describe leaf on 153 plant taxa from 27 grasslands worldwide, under ambient conditions with experimentally elevated phosphorus. Invertebrate significantly increased addition, especially grasses non‐leguminous forbs. Pathogen legumes not Effects...
Climatic warming will likely have idiosyncratic impacts on infectious diseases, causing some to increase while others decrease or shift geographically. A mechanistic framework could better predict these different temperature-disease outcomes. However, such a remains challenging develop, due the nonlinear and (sometimes) opposing thermal responses of host parasite traits difficulty validating model predictions with observations experiments. We address challenges in zooplankton-fungus (Daphnia...
Abstract Community ecology can link habitat to disease via interactions among habitat, focal hosts, other their parasites, and predators. However, complicated food web (i.e., trophic predators impacts on host density diversity) often obscure the important pathways regulating disease. Here, we disentangle community drivers in a case study of planktonic disease, using two‐step approach. In step one, tested univariate field patterns linking directly two metrics. Density hosts (Daphnia dentifera...
Abstract Seasonal epidemics erupt commonly in nature and are driven by numerous mechanisms. Here, we suggest a new mechanism that could determine the size timing of seasonal epidemics: rearing environment changes performance parasites. This arises when environmental conditions which parasite is produced impact its performance—independently from current environment. To illustrate potential for “rearing effects”, show how temperature influences infection risk (transmission rate) Daphnia...
Abstract Autotrophs play an essential role in the cycling of carbon and nutrients, yet disease‐ecosystem relationships are often overlooked these dynamics. Importantly, availability elemental nutrients like nitrogen phosphorus impacts infectious disease autotrophs, can induce reciprocal effects on ecosystem nutrient Relationships linking with dynamics bidirectional, though interdependence processes has received little attention. We introduce disease‐mediated (DND) as a framework to describe...
Abstract The size of disease epidemics remains difficult to predict, especially when parasites interact with multiple species. Traits focal hosts like susceptibility could directly predict epidemic size, while other traits including competitive ability might shape it indirectly in communities a “dilution effect.” In dilution effect, diluter taxa can reduce by regulating (lowering) the density (i.e. through competition) or reducing encounters between and parasites. However, these mechanisms...
Why do natural populations vary in the frequency of sexual reproduction? Virulent parasites may help explain why sex is favored during disease epidemics. To illustrate, we show a higher males and sexually produced offspring facultative parthenogenetic host fungal In multi-year survey 32 lakes, (an index sex) was zooplankton hosts with larger A lake mesocosm experiment established causality: experimental epidemics relative to disease-free controls. One common explanation for such pattern...
Should parasites stabilize or destabilize consumer-resource dynamics? Recent theory suggests that parasite-enhanced mortality may confer underappreciated stability to their hosts. We tested this hypothesis using disease in zooplankton. Across both natural and experimental epidemics, bigger epidemics correlated with larger--not smaller--host fluctuations. Thus, we two mechanistic hypotheses explain destabilization apparent by parasites. First, enrichment could, principle, simultaneously...
Traditional epidemiological models assume that transmission increases proportionally to the density of parasites. However, empirical data frequently contradict this assumption. General yet mechanistic can explain why depends nonlinearly on parasite and thereby identify potential defensive strategies hosts. For example, hosts could decrease their exposure rates at higher densities (via behavioural avoidance) or per-parasite susceptibility when encountering more parasites (e.g. via stronger...
Abstract Communities of free‐living organisms are shaped by processes operating within and among patches habitat, whereas pathogen communities analogous hosts. Resource competition ( R *) theory can describe dynamics or hosts, metacommunity competition–colonization trade‐offs, extinction debts, superinfection. However, models at this broader scale often assume instantaneous competitive exclusion in co‐inhabited co‐infected Impacts more gradual on the abundance, distribution, diversity...
Abstract Spatial rarity is often used to predict extinction risk, but can also occur temporally. Perhaps more relevant in the context of global change whether a species core community (persistent) or transient (intermittently present), with susceptible human activities that reduce niche space. Using 5–12 yr data on 1,447 plant from 49 grasslands five continents, we show local abundance and persistence under ambient conditions are both effective predictors risk following experimental...
Abstract Plant disease often increases with N, decreases CO 2 , and as biodiversity is lost (i.e., the dilution effect). Additionally, all these factors can indirectly alter by changing host biomass hence density-dependent transmission. Yet over long periods of time communities undergo compositional changes, biomass-mediated pathways might fade, intensify, or even reverse in direction. Using a field experiment that has manipulated species richness for 20 years, we compared severity...
The amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is a globally emerging pathogen that has caused widespread population declines, extirpations, and extinctions. However, Bd does not occur in all apparently suitable populations, even within regions where it widespread, often unclear why occurs some habitats but others. In this study, we rigorously surveyed the invertebrate biodiversity of 29 ponds Missouri, screened resident larvae (Rana (Lithobates) sp.) for infection,...
Virulent parasites can depress the densities of their hosts. Taxa that reduce disease via dilution effects might alleviate this burden. However, ‘diluter’ taxa also host through competition for shared resources. The combination and interspecific could even drive hosts extinct. Then again, genetically variable populations evolve in response to both competitors parasites. Can rapid evolution rescue density from harm caused by these ecological enemies? How such influence or size epidemics? In a...
Abstract An overlooked effect of ecosystem eutrophication is the potential to alter disease dynamics in primary producers, inducing disease‐mediated feedbacks that net productivity and elemental recycling. Models ecology rarely track organisms past death, yet death from infection can important processes including recycling rates nutrient supply living hosts. In contrast, models dynamics, pools (e.g. nitrogen, phosphorus) regulate pathogen reproduction transmission. Thus, both stand grow as...
We report here the near-complete genome sequence of "Candidatus Spirobacillus cienkowskii," a spiral-shaped, red-pigmented uncultivated bacterial pathogen Daphnia spp. The is 2.74 Mbp in size, has GC content 32.1%, and contains genes associated with motility production carotenoids, which could explain distinctive red color hosts infected this pathogen.
Abstract The spread of many diseases depends on the demography and dispersal arthropod vectors. Classic epidemiological theory typically ignores vector dynamics instead makes simplifying assumption frequency‐dependent transmission. Yet, ecology may be critical for understanding disease over space time how respond to environmental change. Here, we ask change shapes dispersal, these traits vectors govern spatiotemporal disease. We developed models parameterised by fit them experimental...
Death is a common outcome of infection, but most disease models do not track hosts after death. Instead, these disappear into void. This assumption lacks critical realism, because dead can alter host–pathogen dynamics. Here, we develop theoretical framework carbon‐based combining and ecosystem perspectives to investigate the consequences feedbacks between living on dynamics carbon cycling. Because autotrophs (i.e. plants phytoplankton) are regulators cycling, developed general model...
Human‐induced changes in biogeochemical cycles alter the availability of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) environment, leading to elemental stoichiometry primary producers. These ratios may, turn, degree stoichiometric mismatch between producer hosts their pathogens. Here, we outline how ecological could be used as a framework predict effects changing nutrient supply on mismatches autotroph–pathogen interactions. We discuss empirical evidence linking pathogen performance arising...
Abstract Next‐Generation Sequencing (NGS) is a powerful tool that has been rapidly adopted by many ecologists studying microbial communities. Despite the exciting demonstration of NGS technology as for ecological research, cryptic pitfalls inherent to its use can obscure correct interpretation data. Here, we provide an accessible overview process uses marker gene amplicon sequences (MGAS) will allow scientists, particularly community ecologists, make appropriate methodological choices and...