Population dynamics of helminth parasites in wild and laboratory rodents

AbstractThis paper reviews the host‐helminth interactions that are of importance in regulating both the abundance of helminth parasites of rodents and the host population abundance. Parasite density has an effect on the ability of individual parasites to grow, reproduce and survive within the definitive host, and it also influences the ability of the infected host to survive and reproduce. The severity of the impact of such density‐dependent responses is related to the pattern of parasite distribution within the host population. The potential of helminth parasites to regulate the abundance of a small mammal population is illustrated using an experimental example. Areas identified for further research include (i) an investigation of the relative importance of parasite density‐dependent effects on parasite and host survival and reproduction for specific host‐helminth associations; (ii) more research into the impact of helminth density on host reproduction; and (iii) research into the impact of helminths on the population dynamics of small mammal populations using field and laboratory experiments designed to assess the relative importance of helminths in regulating the abundance of their host populations.SummaryIn this paper we have considered parasite density as an important determinant of parasite and host population dynamics. Because the relative impact of density on different population processes will differ for different helminths, researchers interested in accounting for temporal dynamics of a specific parasite will need to investigate the density‐dependent processes involved in the life cycle of that helminth.Although interactions between the population biology of both the host and helminth parasite are of fundamental importance to the population dynamics of the parasite, they also are important in determining the population dynamics of the infected host population. Because helminths, by definition, must have an impact on the ability of the host population to survive or reproduce they, therefore, also have the potential to regulate the abundance of the host population (Anderson & May, 1978; Anderson, 1979). More research is needed on the effect of parasite density on the rate of reproduction of infected hosts. Finally, given recent theoretical and experimental evidence that parasites can regulate mammal populations, much work is needed to determine conditions when this actually occurs in the field.