Parasite community structure: the case of helminths, protozoa and virus within the European wild rabbit

Many vertebrate species are infected with several parasite species, therefore it is important to understand how these parasites function as a community rather than the effects of a single species on a host. One of the goals of my research is to understand the parasite community structure within two natural populations of rabbits located in Scotland. My current research goals are to understand the spatial and temporal variation in community structure, determine the interspecific interactions of parasites within the host, understand the variation in community structure based on host genetic structure and determine whether these communities are random or nested assemblages.

Contact

  Jason Hill
  ecologyservice@psu.edu