Vestiges of the natural history of creation: Robert Chambers, (London: John Churchill, 1844). vi + 390 pp. Fascimile reprint with introduction by Gavin de Beer, pp. 〈8–36〉, and bibliographical note by J.L. Madden, pp. 〈37–38〉. Leicester and New York: The Victorian Library of Leicester University Press and Humanities Press, 1969. 50 s

Abstract

Environmental heterogeneity has been shown to have a profound effect on population dynamics and biological invasions, yet the effect of its spatial structure on the host-parasite system with horizontally and vertically transmitted infection has received little attention. Here we explore a spatially structured host-parasite model with mixture of the horizontal and vertical transmissions under heterogeneous environment induced from fragmented landscape/resource quality. By pair-approximation model, we find that more fragmented landscape (high amount of habitat loss and/or low clustering of lost patches) can enhance the importance of vertical transmission in disease invasion. In contrast to homogeneous landscape, the vertical transmission is even proved to be a determinant role in disease invasion as facing a severe habitat loss. Spatially stochastic simulation predicts that the occupancy of host populations displays different responses to heterogeneous resource quality and habitat loss, which may be because the habitat patch with low resource quality can still hold the reproduction of host individuals. The results can extend our understanding of the effects of transmission modes on spatial host-parasite interactions.