Recovery of small rodents from open‐pit marble mining: effects on communities, populations, and individuals

Integrative Zoology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 19(4), P. 728 - 742

Published: Feb. 13, 2024

Mining can significantly alter landscapes, impacting wildlife and ecosystem functionality. Natural recovery in open-pit mines is vital for habitat restoration re-establishment, although few empirical studies have examined this process. Here, we assessed temporal spatial responses of small rodents at the community, population, individual levels during natural mine recovery. We abundance, reproductive potential, health active former sites left to recover naturally approx. 10 20 years. also effects disturbance on rodent processes three distances from boundary. Rodent numbers peaked after 10-13 years exhibited strongest male bias sex ratio. The Chinese white-bellied rat (Niviventer confucianus) was most abundant species, achieving its highest population abundance abandoned thriving locations closer Only Chevrier's field mouse morphological category. Ectoparasite load unaffected by or distance-disturbance categories. Both (Apodemus chevrieri) South China draco) were affected vegetation layer cover succession. Our study highlights complexities ecological succession, with a peak as pioneer communities transition toward climax seral stage. Careful prior planning site management are necessary optimize Efforts accelerate through technical should promote conditions that initiate perpetuate establishment succession assemblages.

Language: Английский

Unhealthy herds and the predator–spreader: Understanding when predation increases disease incidence and prevalence

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 13(3)

Published: March 1, 2023

Disease ecologists now recognize the limitation behind examining host-parasite interactions in isolation: community members-especially predators-dramatically affect dynamics. Although initial paradigm was that predation should reduce disease prey populations ("healthy herds hypothesis"), researchers have realized predators sometimes increase their prey. These "predator-spreaders" are recognized as critical to dynamics, but empirical research on topic remains fragmented. In a narrow sense, "predator-spreader" would be defined predator mechanically spreads parasites via feeding. However, and, subsequently, transmission many other ways such altering population structure, behavior, and physiology. We review existing evidence for these mechanisms provide heuristics incorporate features of host, predator, parasite, environment understand whether or not is likely predator-spreader. also guidance targeted study each mechanism quantifying effects parasitism way yields more general insights into factors promote spreading. aim offer better understanding this important underappreciated interaction path toward being able predict how changes will influence parasite

Language: Английский

Parasite-mediated predation determines infection in a complex predator–prey–parasite system

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 291(2021)

Published: April 24, 2024

The interplay of host–parasite and predator–prey interactions is critical in ecological dynamics because both predators parasites can regulate communities. But what the prevalence infected prey when a parasite transmitted through trophic considering stochastic demographic changes? Here, we modelled analysed complex predator–prey–parasite system, where are from to predators. We varied virulence infection probabilities investigate how those evolutionary factors determine species’ coexistence populations’ composition. Our results show that species go extinct either host small success infecting final more for survival parasite. While our simulations consistent with deterministic predictions, stochasticity plays an important role border regions between extinction. As expected, proportion individuals increases probabilities. Interestingly, relative abundances uninfected have opposite orders intermediate populations. This counterintuitive observation shows direct indirect effects common driver system.

Language: Английский