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. 2015 Aug;29(4):1086-1093.
doi: 10.1111/cobi.12498. Epub 2015 Mar 28.

Plague bacterium as a transformer species in prairie dogs and the grasslands of western North America

David A Eads  1   2 , Dean E Biggins  2
Affiliations

Plague bacterium as a transformer species in prairie dogs and the grasslands of western North America

David A Eads et al. Conserv Biol. 2015 Aug.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Invasive transformer species change the character, condition, form, or nature of ecosystems and deserve considerable attention from conservation scientists. We applied the transformer species concept to the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis in western North America, where the pathogen was introduced around 1900. Y. pestis transforms grassland ecosystems by severely depleting the abundance of prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) and thereby causing declines in native species abundance and diversity, including threatened and endangered species; altering food web connections; altering the import and export of nutrients; causing a loss of ecosystem resilience to encroaching invasive plants; and modifying prairie dog burrows. Y. pestis poses an important challenge to conservation biologists because it causes trophic-level perturbations that affect the stability of ecosystems. Unfortunately, understanding of the effects of Y. pestis on ecosystems is rudimentary, highlighting an acute need for continued research.

La Bacteria de la Peste como una Especie Transformadora en los Perritos de las Praderas y los Pastizales del Oeste de Norteamérica Resumen Las especies invasoras transformadoras cambian el carácter, la condición, la forma o la naturaleza de los ecosistemas y merecen atención considerable por parte de los científicos de la conservación. Aplicamos el concepto de especie transformadora a la bacteria de la peste Yersinia pestis en el oeste de Norteamérica, en donde el patógeno fue introducido alrededor de 1900. Y. pestis transforma los ecosistemas de pastizal al disminuir severamente la abundancia de los perritos de las praderas (Cynomys spp.) y por lo tanto causa declinaciones en la abundancia y diversidad de las especies nativas, incluidas las especies amenazadas y en peligro; altera las conexiones de las redes alimenticias; altera la importación y exportación de nutrientes; causa la pérdida de resiliencia del ecosistema ante las plantas invasoras; y modifica las madrigueras de los perritos. Y. pestis es un reto importante para los biólogos de la conservación ya que causa perturbaciones de nivel trófico que afectan la estabilidad de los ecosistemas. Desafortunadamente, el entendimiento de los efectos de Y. pestis sobre los ecosistemas es rudimentario, lo que resalta una necesidad aguda de investigación continua.

Keywords: Cynomys; Yersinia pestis; ecosystem function; especies invasoras; función del ecosistema; invasive species; perturbaciones tróficas; trophic perturbations.

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References

Literature Cited

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