Trophic regulation and support of mosquitoes: An ecosystem approach to pest emergence along an urban gradient

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This project will identify and evaluate how urbanization alters ecosystem functions that regulate mosquito production, especially of species that transmit disease-causing agents. It will explore how urban habitat characteristics facilitate the production of mosquito larvae and blood-seeking adults that preferentially feed on humans. Data will be collected from urban and rural land-cover habitats within the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES), an LTER site. A hierarchical Bayesian statistical framework will be used to quantify differences between urban and rural mosquito production at sites within a common watershed, and this work will establish the foundation for models to forecast mosquito population dynamics for the region.Mosquito-borne disease risk in urban environments has risen in the past decade, as exemplified by West Nile virus in North America and other emerging pathogens around the globe. Understanding the factors that determine the spatial and temporal distribution of mosquito species diversity and population abundances, especially in relation to urban development, is of critical importance to understanding and managing the ecology of mosquito-borne diseases. The project will contribute to the training of one post-doctoral researcher and support the establishment of a promising beginning female investigator.