Excerpt

Following this introduction, Chapter 2 gives a general summary of Daphnia biology, highlighting at the same time those aspects that may be relevant for the study of parasitism. This summary is followed by Chapter 3, which introduces the reader to certain parasite species that are frequently mentioned in the book. This chapter is short, however, because the parasites will be dealt with in detail in the second book.

The next chapters describe the interactions between parasites and their Daphnia hosts. Much of the conceptual parts are derived from general principles of epidemiology but with special reference to the biology of zooplankton and especially Daphnia. Chapter 4 summarizes what we know from parasitological field studies of Cladocerans. Chapters 5 and 6 deal with the sometimes severe fitness consequences of parasitism. In Chapter 5, I review what we know about the negative effect of parasites on the fitness of individual hosts, and in Chapter 6, I review the little we know about how hosts fight parasites. Chapter 7 is on host ranges and discusses what we know about the specificity of Daphnia parasites.

Chapters 8 and 9 address aspects of parasitism at the population level. A central chapter of this book is "Epidemiology." Its two parts deal with transmission processes and with the actual epidemiology of Daphnia parasites. Chapter 9 introduces the important question of whether parasites regulate their host populations or even drive them to extinction.

Chapter 10 introduces a number of experiments that one may do with Daphnia and its parasites within the framework of a student course or for research purposes. These simple experiments may be used to illustrate principles of host–parasite interactions. Experiments are suggested at the individual level as well as at the population level.

From Chapter 4 onward, I end each chapter by posing open questions and highlighting major gaps in our knowledge.

A Glossary provides definitions of terms from Daphnia biology and parasitology used throughout the book.

Contents

• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1. Introduction to the Ecology, Epidemiology, and Evolution of Parasitism in Daphnia
  • Foreword
  • Setting the Stage
  • Defining Parasites
  • Host–Parasite Interactions
  • Outline of This Book
  • Updates and Corrections
  • References
• Chapter 2. Introduction to Daphnia Biology
  • Introduction
  • Physiology, Metabolism, and Immunity
  • Life Cycle and Development
  • Habitat
  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Evolutionary Genetics
  • Population Dynamics
  • References
• Chapter 3. Some Parasites of Daphnia
  • Introduction
  • Bacteria
  • Fungi
  • Microsporidia
  • Unknown Classification
  • References
• Chapter 4. Parasitism in Natural Populations
  • Daphnia Microparasites in Natural Populations
  • Overview of Epidemiological Field Studies
  • Generalizations about Parasitism in Natural Populations
  • Conclusions and Open Questions
  • References
• Chapter 5. The Effects of Daphnia Parasites on Host Fitness
  • Introduction
  • Effects on Host Fecundity and Survival
  • Parasite Effects on Other Host Traits
  • Parasites May Influence Predation on Their Hosts
  • Conclusions and Open Questions
  • References
• Chapter 6. Host Adaptations against the Costs of Parasitism
  • Introduction
  • Changes in Life History Traits
  • The Evolution of Host Resistance
  • Induced Defense
  • Limits to the Evolution of Host Counter Adaptations
  • Conclusions and Open Questions
  • References
• Chapter 7. Host Range of Daphnia Parasites
  • Introduction
  • Understanding Host Ranges of Daphnia Parasites
  • How to Describe and Test Host Ranges
  • Conclusions
  • References
• Chapter 8. Epidemiology
  • Transmission
  • Epidemiology of Daphnia Microparasites
  • Conclusions and Open Questions
  • References
• Chapter 9. Population Dynamics and Community Ecology
  • Background
  • Do Parasites Regulate Host Populations?
  • Do Parasites Influence Host Community Structure?
  • Factors Structuring Parasite Communities
  • Conclusions and Open Questions
  • References
• Chapter 10. Experiments with Daphnia and Parasites
  • Advantages of Using the Daphnia–Parasite System for Experiments
  • Using Proper Controls: Placebos
  • Experiments with Individuals
  • Experimental Epidemiology and Evolution of Daphnia Parasites
  • Conclusions and Open Questions
  • References
• Glossary

Suggested citation:

Ebert D, 2005. Ecology, Epidemiology, and Evolution of Parasitism in Daphnia [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=Books