A proposed methodology for the use of helminth parasites as biological tags in the study of postfire ecosystem regeneration processes

Helminth parasites (trematodes, cestodes, nematodes and acanthocephalans) a re able to provide a variety of information on their hosts. The study of th e dynamics of helminth parasite populations in small mammals (Insectivores and Rodents) captured in Mediterranean ecosystems affected by fire represen t a new source of information about the scarring processes of the affected areas. The study of the burnt area includes knowledge of their ecological c haracteristics before the fire, the type of fire that affected the study ar ea, climate in the region, the evaluation of unburnt control areas, the pro spective methodology used in application to the small mammals in the area, and the selection of model hosts and helminths.