Abundance and distribution of fleas on desert rodents: linking Taylor's power law to ecological specialization and epidemiology

• Published in: Parasitology Vol. 131; no. 6; pp. 825 - 837
• Main Authors: KRASNOV, B. R., MORAND, S., KHOKHLOVA, I. S., SHENBROT, G. I., HAWLENA, H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.12.2005
• Subjects: abundance; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Comparative analysis; Cross-Sectional Studies; desert animals; Desert Climate; Deserts; Ecosystem; ectoparasites; Ectoparasitic Infestations - epidemiology; Ectoparasitic Infestations - parasitology; Ectoparasitic Infestations - veterinary; epidemiological models; Epidemiology; flea infestations; fleas; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; Gerbillinae - parasitology; host specificity; Host-Parasite Interactions; host-parasite relationships; Insecta; Invertebrates; Israel - epidemiology; Mice; Models, Biological; Murinae - parasitology; Negev Desert; Parasites; Parasitism; population density; Prevalence; Rats; Regression Analysis; Rodent Diseases - epidemiology; Rodent Diseases - parasitology; rodents; Sample size; seasonal activity; seasonal variation; Siphonaptera; Siphonaptera - growth & development; Siphonaptera - physiology; spatial distribution; species diversity; statistical models; Studies; Taylor's power law; Israel; prevalence; Taylor's power law; fleas; rodents; abundance; Prevalence; Insecta; Rodentia; Parasite; Epidemiology; Vertebrata; Specialization; Mammalia; Arthropoda; Siphonaptera; Desert; Ectoparasite; Invertebrata

We investigated variation in the abundance-prevalence relationships of fleas among 17 different flea-host associations as well as among different species of hosts and fleas in the Negev desert. We explored variation in the value of exponent of Taylor's power relationship with changes in flea co...