Parasitic nematode faunas in migratory and resident moose

Parasitic nematodes are ubiquitous and can negatively impact their host by reducing fecundity or increasing mortality, yet the driver of variation in the parasite community across a wildlife host's geographic distribution remains elusive for most species. Based on an extensive collection of 264 fecal samples from GPS marked moose (Alces alces) of different sexes and age classes, we used DNA metabarcoding to characterize the individual and seasonal parasitic nematode community in five populations distributed across a wide latitudinal range from 59.6N to 70.5N in Norway. We determined whether individual or population level variation in nematode diversity and prevalence was linked to habitat use and seasonal migration patterns, and systematically describe the parasitic nematode community of moose across a wide latitudinal range.