Virulent disease epidemics can increase host density by depressing foraging of hosts
R. M. Penczykowski, S. R. Hall, M. S. Shocket, J. Housley Ochs, B. C. P. Lemanski, H. Sundar, M. A. Duffy
The paper shows that virulent parasites can increase host density by reducing infected hosts' foraging rates, leading to a hydra effect in ecosystems.
bioRxiv · Jul 6, 2020Ecology