Patterns of macroparasite diversity in small mammals

Concluding remarks: The diversity of parasite assemblages on small mammalian hosts is affected by a variety of factors. These factors include those related to the host body, those related to the off-host biotic and abiotic environment, as well as those related to parasite community structure. However, studies of patterns of parasite diversity in small mammals within and among host species and across biogeographical areas often provide contradictory results and very few general rules have emerged from these studies (see Poulin and Morand, 2000, 2004 and references therein). Based on all the above, two main directions for future studies can be envisaged, both of which are likely to take us one step closer to uncovering any general rule of parasite diversity. First, we still need further investigations of various host and parasite taxa in clearly understudied regions (e.g., in Africa, South America, South-Eastern Asia). Second, the application to parasite assemblages of modern ecological theories and models that initially have been developed for free-living organisms promises to be a fruitful avenue.