UH Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship - Research Library

Parasite communities in wet and dry forest subpopulations of the Hawaii common amakihi

Author:
Van Riper, Charles
Title:
Parasite communities in wet and dry forest subpopulations of the Hawaii common amakihi
Periodical:
Bird-Parasite interactions
Year:
1991
Pages:
p.140-153
Subject:
Hawaii Amakihi Hemignathus virens Avian malaria Birds diseases Parasitism
Summary:
The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of environmental and host behavioral factors upon parasite community structure in endemic common amakihi (Hemignathus virens) populations from the dry forest on Mauna Kea and the west forest on Mauna Loa, Hawaii. Since a study by van Riper et al. documented the impact that avian malaria had on the extant endemic birds but little work had been done on the effect that parasites have on native Hawaiian birds and it was only speculated and presumed that introduced avian malaria and pox played a part in the extinction of the Hawaiian avifauna, the author did this study in an effort to determine what parasites are present in the subpopulations of a host species that are in different habitats on the same island and what the possible explanations are for differing parasite community structures between habitats. The study areas, the methods and collection techniques that were used in this study are described in this document. In addition, the results that were determined in studying the dry and wet forest diseases such as nidicoles and ectoparasites, avian pox, blood parasites, and gastrointestinal parasites are also described.
Collection:
Monographs