Publications by authors named "Rachel Paseka"
Hosts rely on the availability of nutrients for growth, and for defense against pathogens. At the same time, changes in host nutrition can alter the dynamics of pathogens that rely on their host for reproduction. For primary producer hosts, enhanced nutrient loads may increase host biomass or pathogen reproduction, promoting faster density-dependent pathogen transmission.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn overlooked effect of ecosystem eutrophication is the potential to alter disease dynamics in primary producers, inducing disease-mediated feedbacks that alter net primary productivity and elemental recycling. Models in disease ecology rarely track organisms past death, yet death from infection can alter important ecosystem processes including elemental recycling rates and nutrient supply to living hosts. In contrast, models in ecosystem ecology rarely track disease dynamics, yet elemental nutrient pools (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Pathogens are often ignored in discussions about ecosystem services, but they significantly affect autotrophs like plants and algae, which provide essential services to ecosystems.
- The review examines how pathogens influence these services and suggests that their impacts can lead to surprising results, especially in light of global changes.
- The authors call for more research in this area to better understand these roles, which could help shape environmental policies and practices.