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Biting the hand that feeds: Anthropogenic drivers interactively make mosquitoes thrive
S P Boerlijst1, E S Johnston2, A Ummels3
1Center for Environmental Research Leiden, Department of Environmental biology, University of Leiden, Einsteinweg 2, 2333CC Leiden, the Netherlands; Deltares, Daltonlaan 600, 3584 BK Utrecht, the Netherlands.
The Science of the Total Environment
|October 27, 2022
Summary
Human-induced environmental changes like pollution and warming benefit disease-carrying mosquitoes. Understanding these combined effects is crucial for predicting and mitigating future disease vector populations.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Ecology
- Vector Biology
Background:
- Anthropogenic environmental stressors are increasing globally.
- Impacts of these stressors on disease vectors, like Culex pipiens, are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how key human-induced abiotic pressures and their interactions affect the population parameters of the disease vector Culex pipiens s.l.
- To assess the effects of eutrophication, salinity, and temperature on vector survival, development, and reproduction.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a series of full factorial experiments on Culex pipiens s.l. larvae.
- Assessed survival, time to pupation, time to emergence, sex ratio, and ovipositioning behavior under varying levels of eutrophication, salinity, and temperature.
- Examined individual and interactive effects of stressors.
Main Results:
- Eutrophication consistently increased survival and positively impacted egg-laying behavior.
- Salinity negatively affected survival, particularly at higher temperatures, indicating a significant interaction.
- Increased eutrophication and temperature, including fluctuations, reduced development time, while salinity increased it.
Conclusions:
- Anthropogenic habitat alterations significantly impact mosquito population dynamics, often exacerbating effects with rising temperatures.
- Combined stressors, particularly eutrophication and salinization, create favorable conditions for disease vectors.
- Integrated approaches considering multiple stressors are vital for predictive modeling and mitigation strategies.
