Spring reproductive success influences autumnal malarial load in a passerine bird

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Version: Final published version
License: CC BY 4.0
Serval ID
serval:BIB_AC099BC28851
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Spring reproductive success influences autumnal malarial load in a passerine bird
Journal
Peer Community Journal
Author(s)
Pigeault Romain, Cozzarolo Camille-Sophie, Wassef Jérôme, Gremion Jérémy, Bastardot Marc, Glaizot Olivier, Christe Philippe
ISSN
2804-3871
Publication state
Published
Issued date
21/02/2024
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
4
Pages
e18
Language
english
Abstract
Although avian haemosporidian parasites are widely used as model organisms to study fundamental questions in evolutionary and behavorial ecology of host-parasite inter- actions, some of their basic characteristics, such as seasonal variations in within-host density, are still mostly unknown. In addition, their interplay with host reproductive suc- cess in the wild seems to depend on the interaction of many factors, starting with host and parasite species and the temporal scale under study. Here, we monitored the par- asitemia of two haemosporidian parasites – Plasmodium relictum (lineage SGS1) and P. homonucleophilum (lineage SW2) – in two wild populations of great tits (Parus major) in Switzerland over three years, to characterize their dynamics. We also collected data on birds’ reproductive output – laying date, clutch size, fledging success – to determine whether they were associated with parasitemia before (winter), during (spring) and after (autumn) breeding season. Parasitemia of both species dramatically increased in spring, in a way that was correlated to parasitemia in winter. Parasitemia before and during breeding season did not explain reproductive success. However, the birds which fledged the more chicks had higher parasitemia in autumn, which was not associated with their parasitemia in previous spring. Our results tend to indicate that high haemosporidian parasite loads do not impair reproduction in great tits, but high resource allocation into reproduction can leave birds less able to maintain low parasitemia over the following months.
Open Access
Yes
Funding(s)
Swiss National Science Foundation / 31003A_179378
Create date
22/02/2024 10:53
Last modification date
23/02/2024 9:56
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