Regulation of complex host dynamics by a macroparasite

K. A.J. White, B. T. Grenfell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

The impact of a macroparasite on a host population which can exhibit highly complex dynamics is considered. We focus on the case where the host reproduces annually, in which case we couple within-season density dependent interactions with a discrete-time pulse to reflect seasonal reproduction. Results from analytic arguments, supported by extensive numerical simulations, indicate that within season parasite-induced host mortality is potentially capable of stabilising and simplifying host dynamics. Moreover, the interaction of demographic processes occurring on different time-scales is, in some cases, stabilising. In particular, parasite reduction in host fecundity, which is a destabilising process in the May and Anderson continuous time model, is found to stabilise host macroparasite interactions under certain conditions. These results are discussed in an ecological context.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)81-91
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Theoretical Biology
Volume186
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - May 7 1997
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Immunology and Microbiology
  • Applied Mathematics
  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
  • Statistics and Probability
  • Modeling and Simulation

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