Ecological Analysis of the Helminth Community of the Wood Mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, along an 18-Year Post-Fire Regeneration Period in a Mediterranean Ecosystem

The role of helminths of the wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, as biological indicators of the post-fire regeneration process in Serra Calderona Natural Park, a Mediterranean forest ecosystem located between the provinces of València and Castelló (Valencian Country, Spain), has been analysed for almost twenty years. The helminth ecological analysis of 917 A. sylvaticus (675 originating from the burned area and 242 originating from the control area) has been carried out between the 2nd and 18th post-fire years. The influence of intrinsic (host population density, sex and age) and extrinsic (site, period and year of capture, climate variables) factors on the post-fire evolution of the helminth community of the wood mouse, and the biodiversity, species richness and life cycle of the helminth species was studied. Taking into account the most important results obtained, various aspects of the helminth community dynamics of the wood mouse are confirmed as biological indicators of the post-fire regeneration process in Mediterranean ecosystems. The still existing differences between the two areas are mainly related to the influence of climate variables on the post-fire regeneration process. Moreover, the important role that helminth parasites of the wood mouse play as biological indicators of this process in Mediterranean ecosystems is demonstrated.

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Ecological study of the wood mouse helminth community in a burned Mediterranean ecosystem in regeneration five years after a wildfire

Acta Parasitologica ◽

10.2478/s11686-007-0056-6 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 52 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Màrius Fuentes ◽

Sandra Sainz-Elipe ◽

M. Galán-Puchades

Keyword(s):

Environmental Impact ◽

Community Dynamics ◽

Wood Mouse ◽

Helminth Species ◽

Regeneration Process ◽

Burned Area ◽

Mediterranean Ecosystem ◽

Helminth Community ◽

Mouse Population ◽

Biological Tags

AbstractParasites are used as biological tags in environmental impact studies. However, terrestrial systems in general and small mammals in particular are rarely considered in these ecological studies. Based on the effects of a wildfire which occurred in the Spanish Serra Calderona Natural Park — a typical Mediterranean ecosystem — the regeneration process of the wood mouse population and its helminth community is analysed. A total of 217 individuals of Apodemus sylvaticus were studied in a five year period, from the second to the fifth post-fire year: 152 mice originating from the burned area and 65 from the control — non-burned — area. The helminth community for both burned and non-burned areas as well as the effect of intrinsic (host age and sex) and extrinsic (site, period and season of capture) factors on helminth prevalences and abundances were analysed. Taking into account the most important results of this study, various aspects of the helminth community dynamics of the wood mouse are postulated as biological tags of the environmental impact of a wildfire, such as the changes in the frequency distribution of the helminth species, the higher diversity in the burned area, and the prevalences of helminth species having biological cycles directly affected by climatic conditions and the vegetal regeneration process. Consequently, the helminth species of A. sylvaticus should be considered suitable biological tags of environmental perturbations, such as a wildfire, and the wood mouse/helminth model can be applied to predict the consequences for helminth species in general.

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The helminth community component species of the wood mouse as biological tags of a ten post-fire-year regeneration process in a Mediterranean ecosystem

Parasitology Research ◽

10.1007/s00436-018-5909-4 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 117 (7) ◽

pp. 2217-2231

Author(s):

Sandra Sáez-Durán ◽

Ángela L. Debenedetti ◽

Sandra Sainz-Elipe ◽

M. Teresa Galán-Puchades ◽

Màrius V. Fuentes

Keyword(s):

Wood Mouse ◽

Regeneration Process ◽

Mediterranean Ecosystem ◽

Helminth Community ◽

Community Component ◽

Biological Tags

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Ecological aspects influencing the helminth community of the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus in Dunas de Mira, Portugal

Acta Parasitologica ◽

10.2478/s11686-006-0046-0 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 51 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Catarina Eira ◽

Jordi Torres ◽

José Vingada ◽

Jordi Miquel

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Sand Dune ◽

Sand Dunes ◽

Wood Mouse ◽

Apodemus Sylvaticus ◽

Habitat Characteristics ◽

Helminth Community ◽

Heligmosomoides Polygyrus ◽

Ecological Aspects ◽

Host Sex

AbstractThis paper presents the first extensive data on the helminth community of the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus in a coastal sand dune area in Portugal. The 557 hosts analysed in this study were trapped seasonally between autumn 2002 and summer 2005 across 6 habitat types. Twelve helminth species were detected among which, Taenia parva larvae, Angiostrongylus dujardini, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, Syphacia stroma and S. frederici constitute the component species, accounting for 98.7% of all worms. H. polygyrus was the most prevalent helminth parasite. Species richness varied according to habitat and season. The highest species richness was found in sand dunes during winter whereas the lowest was detected along lake margins also during the winter. Some differences in prevalence and mean intensity values were found in relation to year (T. parva larvae and H. polygyrus), habitat (A. dujardini), season (T. parva larvae, H. polygyrus, A. dujardini and S. stroma) and host sex (T. parva larvae and S. stroma). These differences are discussed both in view of the host’s biology and habitat characteristics.

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Parasite dynamics in an invaded ecosystem: helminth communities of native wood mice are impacted by the invasive bank vole

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182017000981 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 144 (11) ◽

pp. 1476-1489 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

KAREN C. LOXTON ◽

COLIN LAWTON ◽

PETER STAFFORD ◽

CELIA V. HOLLAND

Keyword(s):

Bank Vole ◽

Community Dynamics ◽

Wood Mouse ◽

Myodes Glareolus ◽

Disease Dynamics ◽

Helminth Community ◽

Wood Mice ◽

Helminth Communities ◽

The Impact ◽

Native Host

SUMMARYIt is becoming increasingly evident that biological invasions result in altered disease dynamics in invaded ecosystems, with knock-on effects for native host communities. We investigated disease dynamics in an invaded ecosystem, using the helminth communities of the native wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) in the presence and absence of the invasive bank vole (Myodes glareolus) in Ireland. Native wood mice were collected over 2 years from four sites to assess the impact of the presence of the bank vole on wood mouse helminth community dynamics both at the component and infracommunity level. We found evidence for dilution (Syphacia stroma), spill-back (Aonchotheca murissylvatici) and spill-over (Taenia martis) in native wood mice due to the presence of the bank vole. Site of capture was the most important factor affecting helminth community structure of wood mice, along with year of capture and host-age and the interactions between them.

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The helminth community of the wood mouseApodemus sylvaticusin a Mediterranean ecosystem in regeneration ten years after a wildfire

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x09990277 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 84 (1) ◽

pp. 39-48 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

M.V. Fuentes ◽

S. Sainz-Elipe ◽

S. Sáez-Durán ◽

M.T. Galán-Puchades

Keyword(s):

Population Biology ◽

Previous Analysis ◽

Wood Mouse ◽

Burned Area ◽

Mediterranean Ecosystem ◽

Helminth Community ◽

Environmental Disaster ◽

Natural Park ◽

Abundance And Diversity ◽

The Impact

AbstractThis study was carried out 10 years after a wildfire in the Spanish Serra Calderona Natural Park, following a previous analysis comprising the first 5 years after the fire. Its primary aim was to elucidate the impact of this perturbation on the population biology of the wood mouseApodemus sylvaticus, and the repercussions on its helminth community in this regenerating Mediterranean ecosystem. Second, confirmation of the ability of the parasites to tolerate environmental stressors and the effects on their transmission strategies was sought. Five hundred and sixty-four individuals ofA. sylvaticuswere studied in a 9-year period, from the second to the tenth post-fire year: 408 mice from the burned area and 156 from the control – non-burned – area. The helminth community for both areas and the effect of intrinsic (host age and sex) and extrinsic (site, period and year of capture) factors on helminth prevalence, abundance and diversity, and species richness were analysed. Our findings show that, after an environmental disaster, the behaviour of helminth species might be related to their pre-catastrophe presence, their biological cycles, the host's immunological condition, the change of host dynamics, the direct effects of the perturbation, and the processes related to the re-establishment of the ecological balance of a devastated ecosystem.

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The helminth community of the wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, in the Sierra Espuña, Murcia, Spain

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1079/joh2003226 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 78 (3) ◽

pp. 219-223 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

M.V. Fuentes ◽

S. Sáez ◽

M. Trelis ◽

M.T. Galán-Puchades ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wood Mouse ◽

Apodemus Sylvaticus ◽

Helminth Community

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The helminth community of the Mediterranean mouse, Mus spretus, in a post-fire regenerated Mediterranean ecosystem

Helminthologia ◽

10.2478/s11687-007-0015-7 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 44 (3) ◽

pp. 107-111 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

S. Sainz-Elipe ◽

M. Galán-Puchades ◽

M. Fuentes

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Ecosystems ◽

Helminth Species ◽

Burned Area ◽

Mediterranean Ecosystem ◽

Helminth Community ◽

Mus Spretus ◽

Burned Areas ◽

Natural Park ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Syphacia Obvelata

AbstractThe helminth community of the Mediterranean mouse, Mus spretus, was analysed in a post-fire regenerated Mediterranean ecosystem. The study was carried out in the Spanish Natural Park of the Serra Calderona and comprised a 13 year period, from the 2nd to the 14th year after a wildfire. A total of 121 host individuals was analysed, 66 mice from the burned area and 55 from the non-burned area used as control. The results show a helminth community consisting of 10 helminth species, characterised by low diversity, with Syphacia obvelata as the only dominant helminth species. The helminth infracommunity, determined by its origin of capture, burned or non-burned areas, shows some significant differences. It is concluded that the helminth community of the Mediterranean mouse could be considered as a potential biological tag of the post-fire regeneration in Mediterranean ecosystems and therefore might explain some of the changes occurring and their repercussions in perturbed areas.

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