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Published on: December 14, 2013
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Conservation of parasites: A primer
1Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, 6150, Western Australia, Australia.
Summary
Parasites, vital to ecosystems, are often overlooked in conservation. This review argues for including parasites in conservation planning alongside their hosts, recognizing their intrinsic and ecological value.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology and Conservation Biology
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Parasites represent a significant portion of ecosystem biodiversity but are seldom prioritized in conservation efforts.
- Conservation planning typically excludes parasites unless they directly threaten host survival.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address unresolved questions regarding the conservation of parasite species.
- To advocate for the inclusion of parasites in conservation strategies based on their intrinsic and ecological value.
- To propose a framework for parasite conservation that considers their role within host-parasite communities and ecosystems.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on parasite ecology and conservation.
- Analysis of arguments for parasite conservation, including intrinsic value, ecosystem services, and indicator potential.
- Development of a conceptual framework for integrating parasite conservation into broader ecological and host-focused recovery plans.
Main Results:
- Parasites possess intrinsic value, contribute to ecosystem services, and serve as indicators of ecosystem health.
- Excluding parasites from conservation decisions is not logically defensible; endangered hosts and parasites should be viewed as a single threatened community.
- Lack of data on parasite distribution and ecology hinders accurate threat assessment and inclusion on threatened species lists.
Conclusions:
- Effective parasite conservation necessitates maintaining suitable hosts and the ecological conditions for transmission.
- Ecosystem-centered conservation approaches may be more effective for parasite survival than species-specific strategies.
- A decision-making tool is proposed to guide conservation actions for threatened parasites, emphasizing the need for ecological data.
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