Data from: Experimental habitat fragmentation disrupts nematode infections in Australian skinks

Habitat conversion and fragmentation threaten biodiversity and disrupt species interactions. While parasites are recognized as ecologically important, the impacts of fragmentation on parasitism are poorly understood relative to other species interactions. This lack of understanding is in part due to confounding landscape factors that accompany fragmentation. Fragmentation experiments provide the opportunity to fill this knowledge gap by mechanistically testing how fragmentation affects parasitism while controlling landscape factors. In a large-scale, long-term experiment, we asked how fragmentation affects a host-parasite interaction between a skink and a parasitic nematode, which is trophically transmitted via a terrestrial amphipod intermediate host. We expected that previously observed amphipod declines resulting from fragmentation would result in decreased transmission of nematodes to skinks. In agreement, we found that nematodes were absent among skinks in the cleared matrix and that infections in fragments were about one quarter of those in continuous forest. Amphipods found in gut contents of skinks and collected from pitfall traps mirrored this pattern. A structural equation model supported the expectation that fragmentation disrupted this interaction by altering the abundance of amphipods and suggested that other variables are likely also important in mediating this effect. These findings advance understanding of how landscape change affects parasitism.,Resasco_Skink_NematodesData on pale-flecked garden sunskinks (Lampropholis guichenoti), their nematode parasite (Hedruris wogwogensis), and the intermediate amphipod host (Arcitalitrus sylvaticus) from Wog Wog Habitat Fragmentation Experiment. See paper and readme for further details.,

生境转换与破碎化对生物多样性构成威胁，同时破坏物种间的相互作用。尽管寄生虫已被证实具有重要的生态学价值，但相较于其他物种相互作用，学界对生境破碎化对寄生过程的影响仍缺乏深入认知。这一认知缺口在一定程度上源于破碎化过程伴随的混杂景观因子干扰。破碎化实验为填补这一知识空白提供了可行路径：通过在控制景观因子的条件下，从机制层面检验生境破碎化对寄生过程的影响。本研究依托一项大规模长期实验，探究生境破碎化如何影响石龙子与寄生线虫之间的宿主-寄生相互作用——该线虫以陆生端足类作为中间宿主，经营养级传播。我们此前观察到端足类种群因生境破碎化出现下降，据此推测线虫向石龙子的传播效率会随之降低。实验结果与预期一致：在清理后的基质生境中，石龙子体内未检出线虫；而破碎化斑块中的线虫感染率仅约为连续森林生境的四分之一。石龙子消化道内含物中的端足类，以及陷阱法采集到的端足类种群丰度，均呈现出与此一致的变化趋势。结构方程模型（Structural Equation Model）验证了“生境破碎化通过改变端足类种群丰度破坏该宿主-寄生相互作用”的假设，同时提示其他变量或许也在介导这一效应中发挥重要作用。本研究成果深化了学界对景观变化如何影响寄生过程的认知。本数据集（Resasco_Skink_NematodesData）涵盖来自沃格沃格生境破碎化实验（Wog Wog Habitat Fragmentation Experiment）的浅斑园林石龙子（Lampropholis guichenoti）、其寄生线虫（Hedruris wogwogensis）以及中间宿主端足类（Arcitalitrus sylvaticus）相关数据。详细信息请参阅论文及数据集说明文档。