title: Community structure of fleas within and among populations of three closely related rodent hosts: nestedness and beta-diversity.
abstract: We studied nestedness and its relationships with beta-diversity in flea communities harboured by three closely related rodent species (Rhabdomys pumilio, Rhabdomys intermedius, Rhabdomys dilectus) at two spatial scales (within and among host populations) in South Africa and asked (a) whether variation in species composition of flea communities within and among host populations follows a non-random pattern; if yes, (b) what are the contributions of nestedness and species turnover to dissimilarity (= beta-diversity) among flea communities at the two scales; and (c) do the degree of nestedness and its contribution to beta-diversity differ among host species (social vs solitary) and between scales. We found that nestedness in flea assemblages was more pronounced (a) in social than solitary host species and (b) at lower (among host individuals within populations) than at higher scale (among host populations). We also found that higher degree of nestedness was associated with its higher contribution to beta-diversity. Our findings support earlier ideas that parasite community structure results from the processes of parasite accumulation by hosts rather than from the processes acting within parasite communities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology,Stellenbosch University,Private Bag X1,Matieland 7602,South Africa.
authors.forename: Luther
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: VAN DER Mescht
authors.affiliation: Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology,Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev,Sede Boqer Campus,84990 Midreshet Ben-Gurion,Israel.
authors.forename: Boris R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Krasnov
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Genomics Group,Department of Botany and Zoology,Stellenbosch University,Private Bag X1,Matieland 7602,South Africa.
authors.forename: Conrad A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Matthee
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology,Stellenbosch University,Private Bag X1,Matieland 7602,South Africa.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matthee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D058267:Flea Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D058507:Host Specificity; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D051189:Murinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000502:physiology*; D013019:South Africa
keywords: Nestedness; Rhabdomys; beta-diversity; fleas; sociality