Space-Time Structure of the Environment and the Survival of Parasite-Host Systems

The role played by the space-time structure of the environment in the survival of the wasp (Nasonia vitripennis) parasite-fly (Musca domestica and Phaenicia sericata) host systems was studied in the laboratory using a special population cage which consisted of a group of interconnected cells. One 30-cell parasite-host system survived for longer than a year. Increasing the number of cells from 16 to 30 in the population cage, decreased the average density of parasites and hosts per cell, but increased the chances of survival of the system. The amplitude of the fluctuations of the parasite-host populations did not increase with time as proposed by Nicholson's theoretical models but was limited by intraspecific competition. The rapid rate of evolution which occurred was the most important aspect of the experimental parasite-host populations. Within eight generations in a 16-cell system, reproductive capacity of the parasite declined 40 per cent. In 20 generations in a 30-cell system, reproductive capacity of the parasite declined 68 per cent. Such important qualitative changes in the parasite and host populations influenced the population characteristics of the systems to some degree. This demonstrates the importance of considering qualitative changes in studies of population dynamics of all herbivore-plant, predator-prey, and parasite-host systems.

[1]  P. J. Hughesdon,et al.  The Struggle for Existence , 1927, Nature.

[2]  H. E. Soper.  The Interpretation of Periodicity in Disease Prevalence , 1929 .

[3]  W. Thompson,et al.  On Natural Control , 1929 .

[4]  W. R. Thompson.  THE PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGICAL CONTROL , 1930 .

[5]  A. Nicholson,et al.  The Balance of Animal Populations.—Part I. , 1935 .

[6]  A. P. Dodd.  The biological campaign against prickly-pear , 1940 .

[7]  H. S. Smith,et al.  Are Population Oscillations Inherent in the Host‐Parasite Relation? , 1941 .

[8]  C. M. Williams.  Continuous anesthesia for insects. , 1946, Science.

[9]  G. Varley.  The Natural Control of Population Balance in the Knapweed Gall-Fly (Urophora jaceana) , 1947 .

[10]  C. Elton,et al.  Population Interspersion: An Essay on Animal Community Patterns , 1949 .

[11]  C. B. Huffaker,et al.  The Role of Chrysolina gemellata in the Biological Control of Klamath Weed , 1951 .

[12]  R. Serfling.  Historical review of epidemic theory. , 1952, Human biology.

[13]  Serfling Re,et al.  Historical review of epidemic theory. , 1952 .

[14]  Richard S. Miller,et al.  The Ecological Survey of Animal Communities: With a Practical System of Classifying Habitats by Structural Characters , 1954 .

[15]  R. Edwards.  The Host-Finding and Oviposition Behaviour of Mormoniella Vitripennis (Walker) (Hym., Pteromalidae), a Parasite of Muscoid Flies , 1955 .

[16]  C. Elton,et al.  Natural Control of Animal Populations , 1955, Nature.

[17]  A. J. Lotka.  Elements of mathematical biology , 1956 .

[18]  A. Nicholson,et al.  The Self-Adjustment of Populations to Change , 1957 .

[19]  N. Bailey.  The mathematical theory of epidemics , 1957 .

[20]  A. Milne.  The Natural Control of Insect Populations , 1957, The Canadian Entomologist.

[21]  S. Utida,et al.  Population Fluctuation, an Experimental and Theoretical Approach , 1957 .

[22]  C. Huffaker.  Experimental studies on predation : dispersion factors and predator-prey oscillations , 1958 .

[23]  P. Debach,et al.  The Role of Weather and Entomophagous Species in the Natural Control of Insect Populations , 1958 .

[24]  V. G. Dethier.  Food-Plant Distribution and Density and Larval Dispersal as Factors Affecting Insect Populations , 1959, The Canadian Entomologist.

[25]  A. P. Dodd,et al.  The biological control of prickly pear in Australia. , 1959 .

[26]  T. Burnett.  An insect host-parasite population. , 1960 .

[27]  L. Tinbergen.  The Natural Control of Insects in Pinewoods , 1960 .

[28]  D. Pimentel.  Species Diversity and Insect Population Outbreaks , 1961 .

[29]  M. Bulmer.  Stochastic Population Models in Ecology and Epidemiology , 1961 .

[30]  David Pimentel,et al.  Animal Population Regulation by the Genetic Feed-Back Mechanism , 1961, The American Naturalist.