A recent study published in Ecology and Evolution by CEID members Annakate Schatz and Andrew Park has provided new evidence that invasive mammals may be reducing the diversity of parasites in ecosystems by replacing native host species. The research investigates a phenomenon known as the ‘vacated niche hypothesis,’ which proposes that when invasive species outcompete and replace native species, the parasites specific to those native hosts also decline due to a lack of suitable hosts.
Researchers conducted an extensive analysis of parasite records associated with invasive mammals, comparing their parasite communities to those of native mammal populations. Their findings confirmed that invasive mammals typically carry fewer parasite species compared to their native counterparts, a pattern consistent with the vacated niche hypothesis. This reduction occurs because parasites adapted to native mammals lose their hosts as invasive species dominate ecosystems.
The implications of these findings are significant for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation. Parasites play vital ecological roles, including regulating host populations and contributing to ecosystem stability. The study emphasizes that reductions in parasite diversity due to invasive species introductions could have far-reaching consequences for ecosystem balance. They further urge conservationists and policymakers to consider these parasite-host dynamics when developing strategies to manage invasive species and protect native biodiversity.
Please find the paper here.