Local tree cover predicts mosquito species richness and disease vector presence in a tropical countryside landscape

Abstract

Abstract Context Land use change drives both biodiversity loss and zoonotic disease transmission in tropical countryside landscapes. Developing solutions for protecting countryside biodiversity, public health, and livelihoods requires understanding the scales at which habitat characteristics such as land cover shape biodiversity, especially for arthropods that transmit pathogens. Evidence increasingly shows that species richness for many taxa correlates with local tree cover. Objectives We investigated whether mosquito species richness, community composition, and presence of disease vector species responded to land use and tree cover – and if so, whether at spatial scales similar to other taxa. Methods We paired a field survey of mosquito communities in agricultural, residential, and forested lands in rural southern Costa Rica with remotely sensed tree cover data. We compared mosquito community responses to tree cover surrounding survey sites measured across scales, and analyzed community responses to land use and environmental gradients. Results Tree cover was positively correlated with mosquito species richness, and negatively correlated with the presence of the common invasive dengue vector Aedes albopictus, particularly at small spatial scales of 80 – 200m. Land use predicted community composition and Ae. albopictus presence. Environmental gradients of tree cover, temperature, and elevation explained 7% of species turnover among survey sites. Conclusions The results suggest that preservation and expansion of tree cover at local scales can protect biodiversity for a wide range of taxa, including arthropods, and also confer protection against disease vector occurrence. The identified spatial range of tree cover benefits can inform land management for conservation and public health protection.