Parasite Communities Book

A book of essential information on parasitic helminth communities for all those involved and interested in parasitology and community ecology. It examines a wide range of vertebrate and molluscan hosts, and includes a combination of literature review plus substantial new data. Until recently the potential role of parasitic systems as models for understanding patterns and processes in community ecology has not been fully explored. This book assesses current perspectives in this field where much new knowledge is being introduced with increasing frequency. Taking examples from many hosts including molluscs, marine and freshwater fish, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals, this book shows how parasitic communities are influenced by a multitude of biotic and abiotic factors. It examines how these factors affect the transmission dynamics of helminth parasites and provides models for multi-species parasite-host communities.Read More