Abstract
The structure of helminth communities in wild rodents is subject to seasonal variation, and is dependent on host age within years. Although between-year variation has been monitored, seldom has it been assessed rigorously by appropriate multifactorial analysis with potentially confounding factors taken into account. In this study we tested the null hypothesis that despite seasonal, host age and sex effects, helminth communities should show relative stability between years. Over a period of 3 years (1998-2000) we sampled bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) populations (total n = 250) at 2 points in the year: in spring, at the start of the breeding season, and in autumn, after the cessation of breeding. In spite of seasonal differences and strong age effects, the between-year effects were surprisingly small. Measures of component community structure (Berger-Parker dominance index, the dominant species, S. petrusewiczi) did not vary, or varied only slightly from year to year. The majority of measures of infracommunity structure [Brillouin's index of diversity, prevalence of all helminths combined, prevalence and abundance of H. mixtum (the most prevalent helminth), mean species richness] did not differ significantly between years when other factors such as age, sex and seasonal variation had been taken into account. Some between-year variations were found (at the component community level, Simpson's index of diversity; at the infracommunity level, prevalence and abundance of S. petrusewiczi and abundance of all helminths combined), but even these were modest in comparison to seasonal and age differences, and were primarily attributable to S. petrusewiczi. We conclude that despite dynamic within-year fluctuations, helminth communities in bank voles in this region of Poland show relative stability across years. The sporadic occurrence of individual platyhelminths at low prevalence, makes little difference to the overall structure, which is largely maintained by the key roles played by the dominant intestinal nematodes of bank voles and the rarer species collectively.
Highlights
The helminth fauna of wild rodents was documented in various European countries, throughout the last century (Elton et al 1931 ; Furmaga, 1957 ; Tenora, 1967)
In eastern Europe extensive studies on rodent helminth communities were first conducted by Kisielewska and her collaborators in Poland in the 1950–1960s, concentrating on the dominant woodland species the bank vole Clethrionomys glareolus (Kisielewska, 1970 a, b, c)
Basic pattern of changes in parasite prevalence, abundance and species composition with respect to seasons, years, spatial distribution of hosts and host age, but not having been subjected to multifactorial analyses they lack conviction with respect to the relative importance of the factors that were assessed. These initial studies in Poland were followed by taxonomic revision of many of the helminths involved (Tenora & Meszaros, 1975 ; Wiger, Barus & Tenora, 1978 ; Genov & Yanchev, 1981 ; Haukisalmi & Tenora, 1993) and it is not always easy to interpret the earlier findings in the light of our current understanding of the helminth fauna of C. glareolus
Summary
The helminth fauna of wild rodents was documented in various European countries, throughout the last century (Elton et al 1931 ; Furmaga, 1957 ; Tenora, 1967). In eastern Europe extensive studies on rodent helminth communities were first conducted by Kisielewska and her collaborators in Poland in the 1950–1960s, concentrating on the dominant woodland species the bank vole Clethrionomys glareolus (Kisielewska, 1970 a, b, c) These data are valuable in so far as they illustrate the basic pattern of changes in parasite prevalence, abundance and species composition with respect to seasons, years, spatial distribution of hosts and host age, but not having been subjected to multifactorial analyses they lack conviction with respect to the relative importance of the factors that were assessed. There have been few relevant studies in recent years in Poland, but encouraged by current progress in the understanding of rodent helminth communities in Finland (Haukisalmi & Henttonen, 2000), the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Tenora & Stanek, 1995), we initiated a long-term programme to re-examine parasite component communities in wild rodents in Poland, in the Mazury Lake District region in the north-east of the country (Behnke et al 2001)
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