Document

Title

Responses of endoparasites in red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi) to natural forest fires
Document Type: Journal Article
Author(s): Y. T. Hwang; S. L. Gardner; J. S. Millar
Publication Year: 2010

Cataloging Information

Keyword(s):
  • boreal forests
  • British Columbia
  • Canada
  • cestodes
  • coccidia
  • ecosystem dynamics
  • fire frequency
  • fire management
  • forest fire
  • forest management
  • insects
  • Myodes gapperi
  • Nematodes
  • parasites
  • small mammals
  • wildfires
  • wildlife
Topic(s):
Region(s):
Record Maintained By:
TTRS Staff; https://talltimbers.org/contact-us
Record Last Modified: June 1, 2018
FRAMES Record Number: 48650
Tall Timbers Record Number: 24830
TTRS Location Status: In-file
TTRS Call Number: Fire File
TTRS Abstract Status: Okay, Fair use, Reproduced by permission

This bibliographic record was either created or modified by the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy and is provided without charge to promote research and education in Fire Ecology. The E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database is the intellectual property of the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.

Description

We investigated the responses of endoparasites in red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi) to fire in a boreal forest ecosystem. Because fire affects the environmental conditions and biodiversity of the forest ecosystem, the life cycle of parasites may also be affected because of the absence of intermediate hosts in the environment. We hypothesize that the prevalence of endoparasites would be influenced by the parasites' life cycle and habitat characteristics (forest vs. burned). We found that prevalence of endoparasites was different between forested and burned habitats (c2 = :37.49, P<0.00.1.). Cestodes, nematodes, and coccidia showed different responses to habitat alteration (c2 = 37.43, P<0.001). There was a higher prevalence of cestodes in forested (53.5%) than burned habitats (35.0%). However, there was higher prevalence of coccidia in burned (55.0%) than forested (42.9%) habitats. Furthermore, although prevalence of cestode infection was lower in burned than forested habitat, individuals in both habitats had similar intensities of cestodes. Our study showed that habitat can significantly affect the parasite communities, depending on specific parasite life cycles. © Wildlife Disease Association 2010.

Citation:
Hwang, Y. T., S. L. Gardner, and J. S. Millar. 2010. Responses of endoparasites in red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi) to natural forest fires. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, v. 46, no. 1, p. 146-151.