| Based on the current knowledge on composition and structure of parasite communities seems to be highly affected by organisms of hosts. However, on the othe hand, there is rather very limited knowledge, how species richness and structure of host fish community is affecting the species richness and structure of community offish parasites on both component and infracommunity level. Numerous studies have recognized parasitism as significant factor that may affect host natural population dynamics (Begon et al. 1992; Hudson and Dobson 1989; Scott 1988). Parasites are known to potentially decrease the survival or the reproduction of host populations (Minchella and Scott 1991), and parasitism is now largely taking into account in studies of biodiversity (Viggers et al. 1993; Sasal et al. 2000). As parasites may have negative effects on their hosts, it is thus of great importance to characterize the determinants of parasite species diversity (Poulin and Morand 2000). |
