Predicted Effect of Climate Change on Mosquito Species Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus

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dc.contributorLaDeau, Shannon
dc.contributorHoopes, Martha
dc.contributor.advisorRachootin, Stan
dc.contributor.authorSmith, Kayla
dc.date.accessioned2016-07-06T14:00:04Z
dc.date.available2016-07-06T14:00:04Z
dc.date.gradyear2016en_US
dc.date.issued2016-07-06
dc.description.abstractMosquito species Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus are public health concerns due to their disease transmission capabilities. While much is known about their population dynamics, comparatively little is known about the impacts of current and impending climate change. The predicted climate patterns due to anthropogenic production of CO2 have the potential for serious increases in dangers to human health. Many studies have established mosquitoes develop faster in warmer temperatures, and others predict the increase in mosquito populations. This study aims to understand how mosquito development and population growth respond to increases in both mean temperature and variability in future climate. To test these responses, I simulated the predicted increase via climate treatments in environmental chambers. Physiological responses of the mosquitoes in the chambers were monitored from first instar stage to adult emergence, at constant low-densities of single or mixed species cohorts. Competitive relationships between species were also monitored. Species success and fitness were evaluated through pupation rate, rate of adult emergence, and adult female size. Larval development was faster at warmer temperatures with little variability (29±10°C), however lower temperature with little variability produced the largest mosquitoes (24±4°C). Both species had negative physiological responses in treatments with high temperature variation.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipBiological Sciencesen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10166/3922
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.rightsAttribution 3.0 United States*
dc.rights.restrictedpublicen_US
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/*
dc.subjectentomologyen_US
dc.subjectmosquitoesen_US
dc.subjectecologyen_US
dc.subjectdiseaseen_US
dc.subjectclimate changeen_US
dc.subjectglobal warmingen_US
dc.subjectmosquito physiologyen_US
dc.titlePredicted Effect of Climate Change on Mosquito Species Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictusen_US
dc.typeThesis
mhc.degreeUndergraduateen_US
mhc.institutionMount Holyoke College

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