Medium-term temporal stability of the helminth component community structure in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) from the Mazury Lake District region of Poland

Abstract

(2005) Medium-term temporal stability of the helminth component community structure in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) from the Mazury Lake District region of Poland. Parasitology, 130 (2). pp. 213-228. ISSN 0031-1820Access from the University of Nottingham repository: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29204/1/Bajer%20et%20al%202005%20cleths%20medium %20term%20helm%20stability%20in%20cleths.pdf Copyright and reuse:The Nottingham ePrints service makes this work by researchers of the University of Nottingham available open access under the following conditions. This article is made available under the University of Nottingham End User licence and may be reused according to the conditions of the licence. For more details see: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/end_user_agreement.pdf A note on versions:The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the repository url above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription.For more information, please contact eprints@nottingham.ac.uk Medium-term temporal stability of the helminth component community structure in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) from the Mazury Lake District region of Poland 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)(1999)(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 (BergerParker 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 w...

Temporal and between-site variation in helminth communities of bank voles (Myodes glareolus) from N.E. Poland. 1. Regional fauna and component community levels

“…Poland (Bajer et al 2005). Based on a study conducted in 1999, we also reported detectable and quantifiable differences in community structure of helminths in voles living in 3 semi-isolated woodland habitats in the same region .…”

Temporal and between-site variation in helminth communities of bank voles (Myodes glareolus) from N.E. Poland. 2. The infracommunity level

“…How do common versus rare species contribute to infracommunity structure ? Our earlier work showed some temporal stability in helminth infracommunities in bank voles from one of our study sites (Urwitałt ; see Bajer et al 2005) leading us to predict that, with age and sex effects taken into consideration, differences between sites would be a major factor in explaining variation in our measures of infracommunity structure, whereas time would be relatively less important. In this paper we test this idea.…”

Preliminary studies on the zoonotic importance of rodents as a reservoir of toxocariasis from recreation grounds in Wroclaw (Poland)

“…Numerous studies on the parasite fauna of rodents concerning various aspects, such as the impact of extrinsic and intrinsic factors on helminth interactions, have been carried out in recent years (Bajer et al, 2005;Behnke et al, 2005;Eira et al, 2006;Fuentes et al, 2007). Apart from ecological aspects, relevant information about the taxonomical status or host-parasite relationship became apparent during investigations on the helminth fauna of rodents (Feliu et al, 2000;Hildebrand et al, 2004;Hildebrand et al, 2007a).…”

“…Moreover, recent studies show that the possible parasite spectrum has not yet been completely described (Haukisalmi & Henttonen, 2001Hildebrand et al, 2007b). The number of nematode species reported in murid or arvicolid rodents is inconstant, differing between sites and depending on climatic changes (Abu-Madi et al, 2000;Bajer et al, 2005;Behnke et al, 2008). According to Pojmanska (1998), the nematode fauna of M. glareolus in Poland is represented by 13 species, though some statements are still debatable (Tenora & Meszaros, 1975;Hildebrand et al, 2007a).…”

“…It is a rather poor result compared with other research carried out in Poland or Europe. During their long-term studies on the helminth structure of bank voles in the Mazury Lake District, Bajer et al (2005) recorded five nematode species. Similar nematode species richness was also reported by Haukisalmi et al (1988).…”