Ecological and evolutionary effects of fragmentation on infectious disease dynamics

Ecological theory predicts that disease incidence increases with increasing density of host networks, yet evolutionary theory suggests that host resistance increases accordingly. To test the combined effects of ecological and evolutionary forces on host-pathogen systems, we analyzed the spatiotempor...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2014-06, Vol.344 (6189), p.1289-1293
Main Authors: Jousimo, Jussi, Tack, Ayco J. M., Ovaskainen, Otso, Mononen, Tommi, Susi, Hanna, Tollenaere, Charlotte, Laine, Anna-Liisa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodiversity and Ecology
Communicable Diseases
Disease Incidence
Disease resistance
Ecological genetics
Environmental Sciences
Epidemiology
Evolution
Life Sciences
Metapopulation ecology
Parasite hosts
Pathogens
Plant diseases
Plant ecology
Plant pathology
Plant resistance
Plantago
Population distributions
Population dynamics
Population parameters
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Ecological theory predicts that disease incidence increases with increasing density of host networks, yet evolutionary theory suggests that host resistance increases accordingly. To test the combined effects of ecological and evolutionary forces on host-pathogen systems, we analyzed the spatiotemporal dynamics of a plant (Plantago Ianceolata)–fungal pathogen (Podosphaera plantaginis) relationship for 12 years in over 4000 host populations. Disease prevalence at the metapopulation level was low, with high annual pathogen extinction rates balanced by frequent (re-)colonizations. Highly connected host populations experienced less pathogen colonization and higher pathogen extinction rates than expected; a laboratory assay confirmed that this phenomenon was caused by higher levels of disease resistance in highly connected host populations.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1253621