Effects of migratory animals on resident parasite dynamics.

Abstract

Migratory animals can bring parasites into resident animal (i.e., non-migratory) home ranges (transport effects) and exert trophic effects that either promote or reduce parasite exposure to resident hosts. Here, we examine the importance of these transport and trophic effects and their interactions for resident parasite dynamics. We propose that migrant transport and trophic effects are impacted by the number of migratory animals entering a resident's home range (migration intensity), the amount of time that migrants spend within a resident's home range (migration duration), and the timing of migrant-resident interactions. We then incorporate migration intensity, duration, and timing into a framework for exploring the net impact of migrant trophic and transport effects on resident animal parasite prevalence.