Abstract
Parasite distribution patterns in lotic catchments are driven by the combined influences of unidirectional water flow and the mobility of the most mobile host. However, the importance of such drivers in catchments dominated by lentic habitats are poorly understood. We examined parasite populations of Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus from a series of linear-connected lakes in northern Norway to assess the generality of lotic-derived catchment-scale parasite assemblage patterns. Our results demonstrated that the abundance of most parasite taxa increased from the upper to lower catchment. Allogenic taxa (piscivorous birds as final host) were present throughout the entire catchment, whereas their autogenic counterparts (charr as final hosts) demonstrated restricted distributions, thus supporting the theory that the mobility of the most mobile host determines taxa-specific parasite distribution patterns. Overall, catchment-wide parasite abundance and distribution patterns in this lentic-dominated system were in accordance with those reported for lotic systems. Additionally, our study highlighted that upper catchment regions may be inadequate reservoirs to facilitate recolonization of parasite communities in the event of downstream environmental perturbations.
Highlights
Parasite distribution patterns are shaped by a suite of abiotic and biotic factors, which directly and/or indirectly influence both parasites and their hosts (Ostfeld et al, 2005)
Catchmentwide parasite abundance and distribution patterns in this lentic-dominated system were in accordance with those reported for lotic systems
All four allogenic parasites were present in all lakes: metacercarial eye flukes of the trematodes Diplostomum sp. and Tylodelphys sp. and the larval cestodes Diphyllobothrium dendriticum and D. ditremum; whereas minor inter-lake differences in the composition and number of autogenic taxa reflected variation in the presence of monogenean (Discocotyle sagittata, Tetraonchus sp.) and nematode taxa (Contracaecum sp., P. oncorhynchi, Pseudocapillaria sp.; S = 7 LV, 10 ØV, 8 FV; table 2)
Summary
Parasite distribution patterns are shaped by a suite of abiotic and biotic factors, which directly and/or indirectly influence both parasites and their hosts (Ostfeld et al, 2005). In lotic-dominated freshwater ecosystems (i.e. rivers, streams), the combined influences of the unidirectional water flow and the mobility of the most mobile host are considered to be primary drivers structuring the distribution of parasites, especially those with complex life cycles (Blasco-Costa et al, 2013; Salgado-Maldonado et al, 2014). This often results in increased parasite richness and abundance in a downstream direction. Host mobility may play a greater role in determining how lentic-dominated catchment parasite communities are structured, as parasites utilizing a combination of aquatic and terrestrial hosts (e.g. birds, mammals; allogenic life cycle) have greater capabilities for dispersal than parasites remaining in aquatic environments throughout their life cycle (autogenic; Esch et al, 1988)
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