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A Data-Driven Approach to Quantifying Immune States in Sepsis

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Demographic rescue falters when pathogens are present.

Catherine L Searle¹, Stephanie O Gutierrez^1,2, Ilinca I Ciubotariu^1,3

¹Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.

|December 9, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Introducing infected individuals for demographic rescue can harm populations. While initially boosting numbers, this method led to lower long-term abundance compared to no intervention, highlighting disease risks in conservation efforts.

Keywords:

augmentation demographic rescue disease evolutionary rescue genetic rescue parasite pathogen population

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Conservation Biology
Disease Ecology

Background:

Global population declines necessitate conservation interventions like demographic rescue.
The impact of infectious diseases on the success of demographic rescue is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effects of pathogen introduction on demographic rescue outcomes.
To assess the role of infectious disease in population augmentation strategies.

Main Methods:

A controlled experiment using Daphnia dentifera (host) and Metschnikowia bicuspidata (pathogen).
A 3x2 factorial design with varying levels of demographic rescue (none, low, high) and pathogen exposure (unexposed, exposed).
Infected individuals were introduced during rescue events to simulate disease transmission.

Main Results:

Demographic rescue initially increased population abundance, with high supplementation yielding 62% more individuals short-term.
Populations receiving infected individuals experienced significantly worse long-term outcomes.
Unrescued populations ultimately showed 640% higher abundance than those receiving infected individuals.

Conclusions:

Introducing infected individuals can undermine demographic rescue efforts.
Pathogen transmission during conservation interventions poses a significant risk to population recovery.
Careful consideration of disease dynamics is crucial for effective conservation strategies.