Current Research
Biodiversity, community ecology, and the dilution effect in disease ecology.
Biodiversity can protect human health by reducing the probability of human exposure to disease agents transmitted from wildlife. Human-induced environmental changes, such as habitat fragmentation, can inadvertently increase disease risk by reducing both predators and biodiversity. A major effort in the Ostfeld lab is the theoretical development and empirical testing of the Dilution Effect, which describes the mechanisms by which vertebrate diversity protects people against exposure to zoonotic diseases. Intensive study of the ecology of Lyme disease has been instrumental in developing this theory. List of relevant publications.
Pulsed resources and consumer communities in terrestrial systems.
In deciduous and coniferous forests dominated by mast-producing trees, such as oaks, consumers are confronted with the sporadic production of abundant resources. Mast-consuming animals, such as the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus), rely on these pulsed resources. Intermittent acorn production directly effects white-footed mouse population size. As a "hub species," white-footed mouse populations initiate cascades of direct and indirect effects that permeate throughout these forest-based food webs. Their population size is tied to Lyme disease prevalence, gypsy moth predation, songbird populations and seed survivorship and seedling establishment. List of relevant publications.
Biological control of ticks.
Classical biological control (biocontrol) involves using exotic predators, parasitoids, or pathogens to control an exotic pest. In areas where Lyme disease is endemic, it is desirable to control populations of native ticks, which transmit several pathogens to humans causing Lyme and other diseases. We are seeking environmentally safe and effective means of controlling tick populations using the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, a native species known to attack ticks under some circumstances. Our approach is considered 'augmentative biocontrol' because it consists of increasing the probability of contact between ticks and natural enemies, thus augmenting the effects of potential control agents. List of relevant publications |
New Book:
Ostfeld, R.S., F. Keesing, and V. Eviner, eds. 2008. Infectious disease ecology: effects of ecosystems on disease and of disease on ecosystems. Princeton University Press
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