One man’s meat is another’s poison: Exploring the effects of trematode perturbation on an aquatic food web.

McDowell, Daniel 2024. One man’s meat is another’s poison: Exploring the effects of trematode perturbation on an aquatic food web. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Parasites are present in almost all ecological networks and interact with organisms other than their host within the ecosystem. Parasites are known for their negative impacts, causing significant morbidities for people and domesticated animals globally. Chemotherapeutics are a necessity in many parts of the world to reduce the prevalence of infections amongst populations and individual infection burdens. Such reductions in parasites, however, may have down-stream consequences for the ecological community, which they are intertwined in. Here, we focus on the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, in south Wales as a case study to investigate 1) how anthelmintic perturbations impact ecological communities and 2) leverage our improved understanding of F. hepatica’s community ecology to determine whether a natural enemy can be used for augmented biological control. First, we developed an agentbased model to test how repeated anthelmintic perturbations affect an aquatic ecological community. The model predicted that repeated perturbation increases host snail and snail predator density. Predictions generated by the model were tested in a two-year field study, which corroborates model predictions with observed increases in host snail and snail predator densities post treatment. Second, we investigated the predatory capacity of two common, abundant microinvertebrates (cyclopoids and ostracods) against the miracidia of F. hepatica empirically, the results of which informed an agent-based model to test the efficacy of microinvertebrates as augmented biocontrol agents. Microinvertebrates were efficient predators and can provide effective control against F. hepatica, especially as part of an integrated control plan which predicted the greatest reductions in liver fluke infections. By assessing the interactions of F. hepatica and its host snail in the community, through anthelmintic perturbations, this thesis has improved our understanding of the community dynamics surrounding the liver fluke and utilised our improved understanding to find additional control strategies.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Biosciences
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General)
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	26 September 2024
Last Modified:	27 Sep 2024 15:19
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/172408

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