Does the spacial distribution of parasites give a competitive edge to invasive hosts?

What is it about?

The abundance of parasites depends on geographic region and host species. It is commonly observed that the species abundance distribution in introduced hosts is lower than in native hosts. We hypothesize that aggregation patterns at parasite community level might explain the success of introduced species. We tested this in the iso-iuy mullet introduced in the Black and Azov Se from the Pacific. The introduced populations had a higher number of uninfected hosts and parasite populations were less aggregated than in the native ones.

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Why is it important?

This evidence suggest a possible mechanism explaining why introduced species may obtain competitive advantages over native populations. Furthermore, we suggest that the study of aggregation patterns of parasites at community level may be used to predict the success of invasive species in ecosystems.