Project R-15362

Anthropogenic disturbance, biodiversity loss and the dynamics of snail-borne parasites (Research)

Human-mediated environmental changes such as deforestation, agricultural intensification, and urbanization are driving unprecedented biodiversity loss, including parasites, which constitute a significant but often overlooked proportion of global biodiversity. However, parasites offer key ecological functions like regulating food webs and host densities. Trematodes are a highly diverse group of parasitic flatworms infecting humans, livestock and wildlife. Due to their complex life cycle, usually involving an intermediate host snail and vertebrate final host, and methodological difficulties, many knowledge gaps on the drivers of trematode diversity remain. This research proposal aims to address the impact of human disturbance on trematode diversity and prevalence, along the unique Mega-Transect in the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve, Democratic Republic of Congo. Along this wellcharacterized disturbance gradient, we will analyze trematode communities in snails and in small mammals. We will assess the impact of disturbance on snail and mammal host diversity, and how this translates to their infecting trematode communities. The proposed research not only addresses fundamental questions regarding parasite ecology, but also provides insights into the relationship between biodiversity loss and disease transmission, particularly in a region where human activities are increasingly impacting ecosystems and public health.

01 November 2024 - 31 October 2028