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Review
. 2022 Feb;36(1):e13719.
doi: 10.1111/cobi.13719. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Parasites as conservation tools

Roderick B Gagne  1 , Kevin R Crooks  2 , Meggan E Craft  3 , Elliott S Chiu  1 , Nicholas M Fountain-Jones  4 , Jennifer L Malmberg  5 , Scott Carver  4 , W Chris Funk  6 , Sue VandeWoude  1
Affiliations
Review

Parasites as conservation tools

Roderick B Gagne et al. Conserv Biol. 2022 Feb.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Parasite success typically depends on a close relationship with one or more hosts; therefore, attributes of parasitic infection have the potential to provide indirect details of host natural history and are biologically relevant to animal conservation. Characterization of parasite infections has been useful in delineating host populations and has served as a proxy for assessment of environmental quality. In other cases, the utility of parasites is just being explored, for example, as indicators of host connectivity. Innovative studies of parasite biology can provide information to manage major conservation threats by using parasite assemblage, prevalence, or genetic data to provide insights into the host. Overexploitation, habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, and climate change are major threats to animal conservation, and all of these can be informed by parasites.

Los Parásitos como Herramienta de Conservación Resumen El éxito de los parásitos depende típicamente de la relación cercana con uno o más hospederos; por lo tanto, las características de la infección parasitaria tienen potencial para proporcionar detalles indirectos de la historia natural del hospedero y son biológicamente relevantes para la conservación animal. La caracterización de las infecciones parasitarias ha sido útil para definir a las poblaciones hospederas y ha servido como sustituto para la evaluación de la calidad ambiental. Los estudios innovadores de la biología de parásitos pueden proporcionar información para manejar las principales amenazas a la conservación mediante la información proporcionada por el conjunto de parásitos, su prevalencia o genética que proporciona conocimiento sobre el hospedero. La sobreexplotación, la pérdida del hábitat y la fragmentación, las especies invasoras y el cambio climático son las principales amenazas para la conservación animal y a todas pueden ser informadas mediante los parásitos.

Keywords: animal conservation; cambio climático; climate change; conservación animal; conservación de parásitos; especie invasora; habitat loss; invasive species; overexploitation; parasite conservation; pathogens; patógenos; pérdida del hábitat; sobreexplotación.

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References

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