Direct and indirect costs of parasitism preceding a population decline of an Arctic ungulate

Abstract Parasites negatively affect the fitness of ungulate hosts directly, and in wild ungulates, these effects may be synzootic with other stressors, such as limited nutritional resources. In the Arctic, muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) occur in a highly seasonal environment and must rely on finite en...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific Reports
Main Authors: Eleanor R. Dickinson, Chinyere Nwafor-Okoli, Sylvia L. Checkley, Brett Elkin, Marsha Branigan, Emmanuel Serrano, Susan J. Kutz
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024
Subjects:
Reproduction
Body condition
Ovibos moschatus
Marshallagia marshalli
Teladorsagia boreoarcticus
Abomasum
Medicine
R
Science
Q
Banks Island
ovibos moschatus
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-67904-y
https://doaj.org/article/2a0cc83029ff4d0f83d436c09f92b8df
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Summary:Abstract Parasites negatively affect the fitness of ungulate hosts directly, and in wild ungulates, these effects may be synzootic with other stressors, such as limited nutritional resources. In the Arctic, muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) occur in a highly seasonal environment and must rely on finite energetic resources for survival and productivity. We investigated the costs of gastrointestinal nematodes on the body condition and reproductive status of 141 muskoxen, on Banks Island, Canada, when the population was at a peak in numbers and density. Using a Partial Least Squares Path Modelling approach, we found that high adult nematode abundance was associated with lower body condition, and high parasite abundance was associated with female reproduction including the indirect effect through on body condition (n = 87). These findings suggest that individuals prioritize energetic reserves for reproduction over parasite defence. In fall 2003, a severe icing event that restricted access to forage was associated with high overwinter mortality of muskoxen and a population crash. Through direct and indirect costs of parasite infection on body condition and reproduction, the high abundance of parasites may have contributed to the effects of this extreme weather event. Understanding the mechanisms in which parasites impact fitness can help explain the ecological drivers of ungulate populations and predict the interactions between the environment and populations.

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