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Migration and tolerance shape host behaviour and response to parasite infection
1Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
The Journal of Animal Ecology
|May 20, 2021
Summary
Animal migration can help reduce parasite infection risks. This study shows that combining migration with infection tolerance strategies doesn't always benefit hosts, with optimal strategy depending on costs, benefits, and infection pressure.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Parasitology
Background:
- Migration is a known strategy for animals to minimize parasite infection risks and costs.
- Previous models assumed migration was the sole defense against parasites, akin to resistance.
- Tolerance, another defense strategy, allows hosts to reduce infection costs without eliminating parasites.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how parasite transmission and host tolerance influence migratory behavior.
- To determine if incorporating tolerance alongside migration alters host migration proportions.
- To explore the combined effects of migration and tolerance on host-parasite dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Developed a theoretical model integrating host migration and tolerance strategies.
- Analyzed how parasite transmission rates and tolerance benefits affect migratory decisions.
- Examined the influence of migration costs on the interplay between tolerance and migration.
Main Results:
- Host tolerance can either decrease or increase migration, depending on its benefits.
- High migration benefits lead to increased migration, irrespective of tolerance.
- Parasite transmission rates can alter tolerant host migration based on migration costs.
Conclusions:
- Combining migration and tolerance is not always advantageous; a single strategy may be superior.
- The optimal host defense strategy depends on specific costs, benefits, and infection pressures.
- This research offers insights into the evolution of migration as a strategy to mitigate parasite infections and its broader ecological impacts.
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