Zoonotic host diversity increases in human-dominated ecosystems

• Published in: Nature (London) Vol. 584; no. 7821; pp. 398 - 402
• Main Authors: Gibb, Rory, Redding, David W., Chin, Kai Qing, Donnelly, Christl A., Blackburn, Tim M., Newbold, Tim, Jones, Kate E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 20.08.2020; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/158/670; 631/158/851; 631/158/858; 692/699/255/2514; Agricultural ecosystems; Agricultural management; Animals; Biodiversity; Birds; Birds - microbiology; Birds - parasitology; Birds - virology; Ecological effects; Ecosystem management; Ecosystems; Habitats; Host Specificity; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Interfaces; Land use; Life history; Livestock; Mammals - microbiology; Mammals - parasitology; Mammals - virology; multidisciplinary; Parasites; Pathogens; Reservoirs; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Species richness; Species Specificity; Taxonomy; Trends; Urban agriculture; Wildlife; Wildlife habitats; Wildlife management; Zoonoses; Zoonoses - microbiology; Zoonoses - parasitology; Zoonoses - transmission; Zoonoses - virology

Land use change—for example, the conversion of natural habitats to agricultural or urban ecosystems—is widely recognized to influence the risk and emergence of zoonotic disease in humans 1 , 2 . However, whether such changes in risk are underpinned by predictable ecological changes remains unclear....