Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The population dynamics and control of the parasitic nematode Trichostrogylus tennis in red grouse in the North of England

  • Chapter
Book cover Applied Population Biology

Part of the book series: Monographiae Biologicae ((MOBI,volume 67))

Abstract

In this chapter we present evidence which suggests that the parasitic nematode Trichostrongylus tenuis is responsible for producing the patterns of cyclic abundance commonly observed in red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus. We first review the life history of the parasite, then outline some mathematical models that may be used to explore the population dynamics of this system. This model produces cycles similar to the observed cycles for reasonable parameter values. Different ways of controlling the parasites are discussed and other work on grouse populations are discussed in terms of our own work.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Anderson, R. M. and R. M. May. 1978. Regulation and stability of host — parasite population interactions: I. Regulatory processes. Journal of Animal Ecology 47: 219–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, R. M. and R. M. May. 1979. Population biology of infectious disease: Part I. Nature 280:361–367.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, R. M. and R. M. May (eds.). 1982. Population Biology of Infectious Diseases. Dahlem Konferenzen No. 25, 314 pp. Springer Verlag, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, R. M. and R. M. May. 1985. Helminth infections of humans: mathematical models, population dynamics, and control. Advances in Parasitology 24:1–101.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, R. M. and R. M. May. 1986. The invasion, persistence and spread of infectious diseases within animal and plant communities. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond. B. 314: 533–570.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boag, B. and R. J. Thomas. 1985. The effect of temperature on the survival of infective larvae of nematodes. J. of Parasitology 71: 383–384.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Catchpole, C. K. 1972. A comparative study of territory in the reed warbler (Acrocephalus scrirpaceus) and sedge warbler (A. schoenobaenus). J. Zoology, London 166: 213–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chitty, D. 1967. The natural selection of self-regulatory behaviour in animal populations. Proc. Ecological Society of Australia 2: 51–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crompton, D. W. T. 1984. The influence of parasitic infection on food intake. Federation Proceedings 43: 239–245.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dobson, A. P. 1989. The population biology of parasitic helminths in animal populations. Pp. 145–175 in T. G. Hallam, L. J. Gross and S. A. Levin (eds.). Applied Mathematical Ecology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, R. A. 1930. The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection. Clarendon Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitzsimmons, W. M. 1969. Pathogenesis of the Trichostrongyles. Helminthological Abstracts 38: 139–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, P. H., P. J. Greenwood and C. M. Perrins. 1979. Breeding area fidelity of the great tit (Parus major). J. Animal Ecology 48: 305–313.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, B. A. 1977. The genetics and demography of a high and low density of Red Grouse Lagopus I. scoticus. J. Animal Ecology 46: 581–592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, P.J. 1986. The effect of a parasitic nematode on the breeding performance of red grouse. J. Animal Ecology 55: 85–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, P. J. and A. P. Dobson. 1987a. Red Grouse. The Biology and Management of a Wild Gamebird. Brourne Press, Bournemouth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, P. J. and A. P. Dobson. 1987b. The population dynamics of Trichostrongylus tenuis in Red grouse. Parasitology (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, P. J. and A. Watson. 1985. Exploited animals: Red Grouse. Biologist 32:13–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, P. J., A. P. Dobson, and D. Newborn. 1985. Cyclic and non-cyclic populations of red grouse: a role for parasitism. In: Ecology and Genetics of Host-Parasite Interactions. D. Rollinson and R. M. Anderson, eds., pp. 77–90. Academic Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, D., A. Watson, and G. R. Miller. 1963. Population studies on red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scoticus (Lath.), in northeast Scotland. J. Animal Ecology 32: 317–376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, D., A. Watson and G. R. Miller. 1967. Population fluctuations in the Red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus. J. Animal Ecology 36: 97–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kermack, W. O and A. G. McKendrick. 1927. A contribution to the mathematical theory of epidemics. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series A, 138: 55–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krebs, C. J. 1978. A review of the Chitty hypothesis of population regulation. Canadian J. of Zoology, 56: 2463–2480.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lack, D. 1966. Population Studies of Birds. Clarendon Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovat, L. 1911. The Grouse in Health and Disease: being the final report of the Committee of Inquiry on Grouse Disease. 2 vols. Smith, Elder and Co., London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mackenzie, J. M. D. 1952. Fluctuations in the numbers of British tetraonide. J. Animal Ecology 21:128–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • May, R. M. and R. M. Anderson. 1978. Regulation and stability of host-parasite population interactions. II. Destablising processes. J. Animal Ecology 47: 249–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • May, R. M. and R. M. Anderson. 1979. Population biology of infectious diseases: Part II. Nature 280: 455–461.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • May, R. M. and A. P. Dobson. 1986. Population dynamics and the evolution of pesticide resistance. In: Pesticide Resistance and Management, pp. 170–193, NAS-NRC publications, Washington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, G. R. and A. Watson and D. Jenkins. 1970. Responses of Red Grouse populations to experimental improvement of their food. Symposia of the British Ecological Society, 10: 323–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moss, R. and A. Watson. 1980. Inherent changes in the aggressive behaviour of a fluctuating red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus population. Ardea 68:113–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moss, R. and A. Watson. 1985. Adaptive value of spacing behaviour in population cycles of red grouse and other animals. In: Behavioural Ecology, R. M. Sibly and R. H. Smith, eds., pp. 275–294. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moss, R., A. Watson and R. Parr. 1975. Maternal nutrition and breeding success in red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus). J. Animal Ecology 44: 171–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moss, R., A. Watson and P. Rothery. 1984. Inherent changes in the body size, viability and behaviour of a fluctuating red grouse (Lagopus I. scoticus) population. J. Animal Ecology 53:171–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Potts, G. R., S. C. Tapper and P. J. Hudson. 1984. Population fluctuations in red grouse: analysis of bag records and a simulation model. J. Animal Ecology 53: 21–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Redfield, J. A. 1973. Demography and genetics in colonizing populations of Blue Grouse (Dendrtagapus obscurus). Evolution 27: 576–592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stenseth, N. C. 1981. On Chitty’s theory for fluctuating populations: the importance of genetic polymorphism in the generation of regular density cycles. J. Theoretical Biology 90: 9–36.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Symons, L. E. A. 1969. Pathology of gastrointestinal helminthiasis. International Review of Tropical Medicine, 3: 49–100.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, A. 1970. Territorial and reproductive behaviour of red grouse. J. Reproduction and Fertility, Supplement, 11: 3–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, A. and R. Moss. 1979. Population cycles in the Tetraonidae. Ornis Fennica 56: 87–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, A., R. Moss, P. Rothery and R. Parr. 1984. Demographic causes and predictive models of population fluctuations in red grouse. J. Animal Ecology 53: 639–662.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, A., R. Moss and R. Rothery. 1984. Effects of food enhancement on numbers and spacing behaviour of red grouse. J. Animal Ecology 53: 663–678.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, A. and R. Moss. 1980. Advances in our understanding of the population dynamics of Red Grouse from a recent fluctuation in population numbers. Ardea 68:103–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, G. R. 1983. The prevalence of caecal threadworms (Trichostrongylus tenuis) in red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus). Oecologia 58: 265–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, G. R. and L. P. Wilson. 1978. Haematology, weight and condition of captive red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus) infected with caecal threadworm (Trichostrongylus tenuis).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wynne-Edwards, V. C. 1962. Animal Dispersion in Relation to Social Behaviour. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, USA

    A. P. Dobson

  2. The Game Conservancy, Grouse Research Project, Crubenmore Lodge, Newtonomore, Iverness-shire, PH20 1BE, Scotland

    P. J. Hudson

Authors
  1. A. P. Dobson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. J. Hudson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

S. K. Jain L. W. Botsford

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1992 Kluwer Academic Publishers

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Dobson, A.P., Hudson, P.J. (1992). The population dynamics and control of the parasitic nematode Trichostrogylus tennis in red grouse in the North of England. In: Jain, S.K., Botsford, L.W. (eds) Applied Population Biology. Monographiae Biologicae, vol 67. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-585-32911-6_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-585-32911-6_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-1425-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-585-32911-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation