Parasite-mediated energy flow and community stability

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25650144
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: TAKUYA Sato 神戸大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (30456743)
• Research Collaborator: ANDREAS Schmidt-Rhaesa University of Hamburg, Zoological Museum, Curator ; HANELT Ben University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, Assistant Professor ; LAFFERTY Kevin D. University of California, Santa Barbara, Marine Science Institute, Principal Investigator
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 宿主操作 / エネルギー流 / 群集の安定性 / メタ解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Understanding factors controlling community stability is a central issue in ecology. Traditionally, the role of parasites in ecosystems has been considered to be negligible, but recent studies are changing this implicit assumption. In this research project, we found the possibility that manipulative parasites can make food webs top-heavy by enhancing the energy flow between hosts and/or hosts and other community members, which may destabilize communities, according to a recent theory for community stability.

Free Research Field

群集生態学