Journal
ECOLOGY LETTERS
Volume 6, Issue 9, Pages 837-842Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1046/j.1461-0248.2003.00501.x
Keywords
host-parasite interaction; indirect effects; infectious disease; isocline analysis; multiple host species; parasite invasion
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Many pathogens and parasites attack multiple host species, so their ability to invade a host community can depend on host community composition. We present a graphical isocline framework for studying disease establishment in systems with two host species, based on treating host species as resources. The isocline approach provides a natural generalization to multi-host systems of two related concepts in disease ecology - the basic reproductive rate of a parasite, and threshold host density. Qualitative isocline shape characterizes the threshold community configurations that permit parasite establishment. In general, isocline shape reflects the relative forces of inter- and intraspecific transmission of shared parasites. We discuss the qualitative implications of parasite isocline shape for issues of mounting concern in conservation ecology.
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