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Article: Parasite-induced mortality in mycophagous Drosophila.
- Article from:
- Ecology
- Article date:
- March 1, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Ecological Society of America. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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INTRODUCTION
Parasite-induced reductions in host fertility and host survival are functionally equivalent in their immediate effects on host population dynamics: both reduce the mean rate of reproduction in the host population. In contrast, changes in the survival of parasitized hosts can affect the dynamics of parasite populations in very different ways from changes in host fertility. While changes in host fertility have no direct impact on the parasites, the death of a parasitized host usually entails the death of its parasites as well. Because the specific way in which host fitness is compromised has an immediate effect on the parasite populations, this will ...