Is a healthy ecosystem one that is rich in parasites?
Abstract
Historically, the role of parasites in ecosystem functioning has been considered trivial because a cursory examination reveals that their relative biomass is low compared with that of other trophic groups. However there is increasing evidence that parasite-mediated effects could be significant: they shape host population dynamics, alter interspecific competition, influence energy flow and appear to be important drivers of biodiversity. Indeed they influence a range of ecosystem functions and have a major effect on the structure of some food webs. Here, we consider the bottom-up and top-down processes of how parasitism influences ecosystem functioning and show that there is evidence that parasites are important for biodiversity and production; thus, we consider a healthy system to be one that is rich in parasite species.
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The presence or absence of parasites dramatically alters species richness, consistently with their role in natural communities.
“Here, the presence (figure 9a) or absence (figure 9b) of parasites dramatically alters species richness, consistently with their role in natural communities [339].”
From Fundamental constraints to the logic of living systems (2024) · cites this paper as [339]
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Wood, C. L., Lafferty, K. D., DeLeo, G., Young, H. S., Hudson, P. J., & Kuris, A. M. (2014) · Ecology · doi:10.1890/13-1041.1 · Cited by 268 · see citing works
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Miller, S. M., Bissett, C., Burger, A., Courtenay, B., Dickerson, T., Druce, D. J., Ferreira, S., Funston, P. J., Hofmeyr, D., Kilian, P. J., et al. (2013) · South African Journal of Wildlife Research · doi:10.3957/056.043.0202 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Fundamental constraints to the logic of living systems
Solé, R., Kempes, C. P., Corominas-Murtra, B., De Domenico, M., Kolchinsky, A., Lachmann, M., Libby, E., Saavedra, S., Smith, E., & Wolpert, D. (2024) · Interface Focus · doi:10.1098/rsfs.2024.0010 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
“Here, the presence (figure 9 a ) or absence (figure 9 b ) of parasites dramatically alters species richness, consistently with their role in natural communities [339].”
Background
- Authors
- Hudson, P. J., Dobson, A. P., & Lafferty, K. D.
- Affiliations
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Princeton University (US)
- United States Geological Survey (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hudson, Peter J.
- Venue
- Trends in Ecology & Evolution
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2006-07
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 381-385
- ISSN
- 0169-5347 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2100179287
- Cited by
- 989
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 48 · 2025: 62 · 2024: 54 · 2023: 76 · 2022: 61 · 2021: 93 · 2020: 60 · 2019: 55 · 2018: 61 · 2017: 52 · 2016: 45 · 2015: 57 · 2014: 42 · 2013: 41 · 2012: 42
- FWCI
- 17.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Trends in Ecology & Evolution (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Center For Environmental Assessment
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology Models
- Keywords
- parasites, ecosystem functioning, host population dynamics, interspecific competition, energy flow, biodiversity, food webs, bottom-up control, top-down control, parasite biomass
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Health, Host-Parasite Interactions, Parasites, Ecosystem, Evolution, Molecular, Food Chain, Biodiversity
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