Temporal Effects of Climate Change on Georgia Freshwater Parasite Diversity
Abstract (300 words maximum)
The long-term effects of climate change on biodiversity are becoming increasingly relevant. There have been observations of declines in species richness and abundance across many taxa, from insects to fish to birds. However, there seems to be a lack of representation in the literature about how these temporal environmental dynamics affect parasite diversity, despite them being vital parts of ecosystems and indicative signs of ecological stress. With this study we examined how long-term climate change influences the diversity of freshwater parasites in Georgia. To analyze this, we paired parasite diversity data collected by our lab with long term temperature records, for which the preliminary data will be presented. By inspecting temporal patterns between parasite biodiversity and climate trends, this study aimed to identify potential correlations between warming freshwater ecosystems and changes in parasite community diversity. In total we hope to seek to showcase how parasite diversity responds to climate changes and gauge the potential of parasites as signs of freshwater ecosystem health.
Use of AI Disclaimer
no
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM – Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Whitney Preisser
Temporal Effects of Climate Change on Georgia Freshwater Parasite Diversity
The long-term effects of climate change on biodiversity are becoming increasingly relevant. There have been observations of declines in species richness and abundance across many taxa, from insects to fish to birds. However, there seems to be a lack of representation in the literature about how these temporal environmental dynamics affect parasite diversity, despite them being vital parts of ecosystems and indicative signs of ecological stress. With this study we examined how long-term climate change influences the diversity of freshwater parasites in Georgia. To analyze this, we paired parasite diversity data collected by our lab with long term temperature records, for which the preliminary data will be presented. By inspecting temporal patterns between parasite biodiversity and climate trends, this study aimed to identify potential correlations between warming freshwater ecosystems and changes in parasite community diversity. In total we hope to seek to showcase how parasite diversity responds to climate changes and gauge the potential of parasites as signs of freshwater ecosystem health.