Modelling factors that affect the presence of larval mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in stormwater drainage systems to improve the efficacy of control programmes

2013 ◽  
Vol 145 (6) ◽  
pp. 674-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Jackson ◽  
Jennifer L. Gow ◽  
Michelle J. Evelyn ◽  
T.J. Scott McMahon ◽  
Harlan Campbell ◽  
...  

AbstractStormwater catch basins form part of artificial drainage systems in urban areas and can provide larval habitat for mosquito vector species of West Nile virus (WNv), such asCulex pipiensLinnaeus (Diptera: Culicidae). We evaluated the impact of management techniques and targeted applications of larvicide on larval populations of this potential WNv mosquito vector species in catch basins from the Lower Mainland of Vancouver and on Vancouver Island of British Columbia, Canada. A mixed effects logistic regression model described the relationship between larval presence and larvicide treatment while controlling for other parameters. Parameter estimates showed that larvicide treatment reduced the odds of larvae presence by a factor of ∼7.23. The model also revealed relationships between larval presence and water temperature and adjacent land use but larvicide treatment consistently reduced the presence of larvae regardless of these other factors. This knowledge can now be used to prioritise and target control efforts to most efficiently reduce WNv mosquito vector populations, and most effectively reduce the risk of WNv transmission to humans. A similar research strategy could be applied to emerging threats from other potential mosquito vectors of disease around the world, to help lower the incidence of mosquito-borne disease.

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 829-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damian Murla Tuyls ◽  
Søren Thorndahl ◽  
Michael R. Rasmussen

Abstract Intense rainfall in urban areas can often generate severe flood impacts. Consequently, it is crucial to design systems to minimize potential flood damages. Traditional, simple design of urban drainage systems assumes agreement between rainfall return period and its consequent flood return period; however, this does not always apply. Hydraulic infrastructures found in urban drainage systems can increase system heterogeneity and perturb the impact of severe rainfall response. In this study, a surface flood return period assessment was carried out at Lystrup (Denmark), which has received the impact of flooding in recent years. A 35 years' rainfall dataset together with a coupled 1D/2D surface and network model was used to analyse and assess flood return period response. Results show an ambiguous relation between rainfall and flood return periods indicating that linear rainfall–runoff relationships will, for the analysed case study, be insufficient for flood estimation. Simulation-based mapping of return periods for flood area and volume has been suggested, and moreover, a novel approach has been developed to map local flood response time and relate this to rainfall characteristics. This approach allows to carefully analyse rainfall impacts and flooding response for a correct flood return period assessment in urban areas.


Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Bouarafa ◽  
Laurent Lassabatere ◽  
Gislain Lipeme-Kouyi ◽  
Rafael Angulo-Jaramillo

Stormwater management techniques in urban areas, such as sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS), are designed to manage rainwater through an infiltration process. In order to determine the infiltration capacities of different SuDS and to identify their unsaturated hydraulic properties, measurements with the Beerkan method (i.e., single ring infiltration tests) were carried out on four types of common infiltration structures in an urban zone of Lyon (France): A drainage ditch with an underlying storage structure, a parking lot with a waterproof pavement that transfers runoff water toward the ditch, a vegetated hollow core slab, and an embankment of a grass-covered garden that was used as a reference for rainwater infiltration capacity. The novelty of this study lies in the use of three Beerkan estimation of soil transfer parameters (BEST) algorithms: BEST-slope, BEST-intercept, and BEST-steady to analyze infiltration data. The BEST methods are based on the analysis of the infiltration rate from transient to steady-state flow. They allow the determination of both shape and scale parameters of the soil water retention curve h(θ) and the hydraulic conductivity curve K(θ). The three BEST methods are efficient and simple for hydraulic characterization of SuDS. The study of the hydrodynamic behavior of the four structures revealed the infiltration inefficiency of some of them. Their average infiltration rates are considerably lower than the reference infiltration rain garden. The results confirmed the impact of some physical conditions, such as pore structure modification due to invasive vegetation colonization and the presence of soil organic matter, on soil hydrodynamic behavior degradation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
André B. B. Wilke ◽  
Catherine Chase ◽  
Chalmers Vasquez ◽  
Augusto Carvajal ◽  
Johana Medina ◽  
...  

Abstract Global increases in temperatures and urbanization are impacting the epidemiology of mosquito-borne diseases. Urbanization processes create suitable habitats for vector mosquitoes in which there are a reduced number of predators, and human hosts are widely available. We hypothesize that mosquito vector species, especially Aedes aegypti, are locally concentrated primarily in those specific habitats at the neighborhood levels that provide suitable conditions and environmental resources needed for mosquito survival. Determining how mosquito vector species composition and abundance depend on environmental resources across habitats addresses where different types of vector control need to be applied. Therefore, our goal was to analyze and identify the most productive aquatic habitats for mosquitoes in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Immature mosquito surveys were conducted throughout Miami-Dade County from April 2018 to June 2019, totaling 2,488 inspections. Mosquitoes were collected in 76 different types of aquatic habitats scattered throughout 141 neighborhoods located in the urbanized areas of Miami-Dade County. A total of 44,599 immature mosquitoes were collected and Ae. aegypti was the most common and abundant species, comprising 43% of all specimens collected. Aedes aegypti was primarily found in buckets, bromeliads, and flower pots, concentrated in specific neighborhoods. Our results showed that aquatic habitats created by anthropogenic land-use modifications (e.g., ornamental bromeliads, buckets, etc.) were positively correlated with the abundance of Ae. aegypti. This study serves to identify how vector mosquitoes utilize the resources available in urban environments and to determine the exact role of these specific urban features in supporting populations of vector mosquito species. Ultimately, the identification of modifiable urban features will allow the development of targeted mosquito control strategies optimized to preventatively control vector mosquitoes in urban areas.


Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 342
Author(s):  
Gillian Eastwood ◽  
Rosemary C. Sang ◽  
Joel Lutomiah ◽  
Philip Tunge ◽  
Scott C. Weaver

As new and re-emerging vector-borne diseases are occurring across the world, East Africa represents an interesting location, being the origin of several arboviruses with a history of urbanization and global spread. Rapid expansion of urban populations and alteration of natural habitats creates the opportunity for arboviruses to host-switch from wild, sylvatic hosts or vectors into urban transmission affecting human populations. Although mosquito surveillance regularly takes place in urban areas of Kenya, for example identifying vectors of dengue virus or malaria viruses, little work has been carried out to determine the distribution and abundance of sylvatic vectors. Here, we describe the mosquito vector species and diversity collected at twelve forest habitats of rural Kenya. We conducted arbovirus screening of over 14,082 mosquitoes (47 species, 11 genera) as 1520 pools, and detected seven viruses (six bunyaviruses, and one flavivirus-bunyavirus co-infection) isolated from pools of Aedes dentatus, Anopheles funestus, Culex annulioris, and Cx. vansomereni. Awareness of sylvatic vector species and their location is a critical part of understanding the ecological foci and enzootic cycling of pathogens that may be of concern to public, animal or wildlife health. As natural ecosystems come under anthropogenic pressures, such knowledge can inform us of the One Health potential for spillover or spillback leading to outbreaks, and assist in vector control strategies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-102
Author(s):  
Ritawati Ritawati ◽  
Reni Oktarina

Abstract Muara Enim is an endemic lymphatic filariasis district in South Sumatera Province. Microfilaria rate reported in 2009 was 10.3%. Filarial prevention mass drug administration (MDA) was simultaneously carried out since 2013. The objectives of the study were to identify the lymphatic filariasis situation (microfilaria rate, history of drugs administration, vector species and larval habitat) after the introduction of third phase filariasis prevention drugs. Study design was cross sectional study, which located in Penanggiran and Cinta Kasih Village, Muara Enim District in 2015. Sampling was done by examination of finger blood at night from 19:00 to 24:00. The history of taking MDA was asked to the villagers > 15 years old that were taken finger blood speciments. The catching of adult mosquitoes was done once by human landing collection method for 12 hours (18.00-06.00). Observation of larvae was conducted in larval breeding habitats.The results found one sample Brugia malayi mikrofilaria species positive of 726 from the sentinel village of sentinel. Microfilarial rate was 0.29%. The dominant mosquito vector species was Culex quinquefasciatus. The mosquito larvae were found in the marsh area. We found only 22% of 537 respondents has been taking the drug three times for three years. Abstrak Muara Enim merupakan daerah endemis filariasis di Provinsi SumateraSelatan. Mikrofilaria rate dilaporkan tahun 2009 sebesar 10,3%. Pemberianobat pencegahan massal serentak dilakukan sejak tahun 2013. Tujuanpenelitian mengetahui gambaran filariasis (mikrofilaria rate, riwayat minumobat, spesies nyamuk dan habitat larva) pasca-Pemberian Obat PencegahanMassal (pasca-POPM) filariasis tahap tiga. Desain penelitian studi potonglintang, lokasi penelitian di Desa Penanggiran dan Cinta Kasih. Pengambilansampel dengan cara pemeriksaan darah jari pada malam hari dimulai pukul19.00-24.00 WIB terhadap seluruh penduduk desa yang datang pada saatsurvei darah jari (SDJ). Riwayat minum obat pencegahan ditanyakan padapenduduk yang diambil spesimen darah jari berumur >15 tahun. Penangkapannyamuk dewasa dilakukan masing-masing satu kali di desa lokasi penelitiandengan metode human landing collection selama 12 jam (18.00–06.00 WIB).Pengamatan dan pencidukan larva pada habitat perkembangbiakan larva.Hasil pemeriksaan darah terhadap 726 orang ditemukan satu orang positifmikrofilaria dengan spesies Brugia malayi dengan Mf rate sebesar 0,29%.Frekuensi minum obat massal filariasis selama tiga tahun POPM dari 537responden hanya sebesar 22,0%. Spesies nyamuk yang dominan ditemukanCulex quinquefasciatus. Larva nyamuk vektor filariasis ditemukan di rawa.Disarankan sosialisasi, pentingnya minum obat pencegahan filariasis danpeningkatan praktik pencegahan untuk mengurangi kontak dengan nyamuk.


Author(s):  
Omid Seyedashraf ◽  
Andrea Bottacin-Busolin ◽  
Julien J. Harou

AbstractSustainable urban drainage systems are multi-functional nature-based solutions that can facilitate flood management in urban catchments while improving stormwater runoff quality. Traditionally, the evaluation of the performance of sustainable drainage infrastructure has been limited to a narrow set of design objectives to simplify their implementation and decision-making process. In this study, the spatial design of sustainable urban drainage systems is optimized considering five objective functions, including minimization of flood volume, flood duration, average peak runoff, total suspended solids, and capital cost. This allows selecting an ensemble of admissible portfolios that best trade-off capital costs and the other important urban drainage services. The impact of the average surface slope of the urban catchment on the optimal design solutions is discussed in terms of spatial distribution of sustainable drainage types. Results show that different subcatchment slopes result in non-uniform distributional designs of sustainable urban drainage systems, with higher capital costs and larger surface areas of green assets associated with steeper slopes. This has two implications. First, urban areas with different surface slopes should not have a one-size-fits-all design policy. Second, spatial equality must be taken into account when applying optimization models to urban subcatchments with different surface slopes to avoid unequal distribution of environmental and human health co-benefits associated with green drainage infrastructure.


Methodology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 89-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Rutkowski ◽  
Yan Zhou

Abstract. Given a consistent interest in comparing achievement across sub-populations in international assessments such as TIMSS, PIRLS, and PISA, it is critical that sub-population achievement is estimated reliably and with sufficient precision. As such, we systematically examine the limitations to current estimation methods used by these programs. Using a simulation study along with empirical results from the 2007 cycle of TIMSS, we show that a combination of missing and misclassified data in the conditioning model induces biases in sub-population achievement estimates, the magnitude and degree to which can be readily explained by data quality. Importantly, estimated biases in sub-population achievement are limited to the conditioning variable with poor-quality data while other sub-population achievement estimates are unaffected. Findings are generally in line with theory on missing and error-prone covariates. The current research adds to a small body of literature that has noted some of the limitations to sub-population estimation.


1998 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
John A Atkinson ◽  
Camilla Dickson ◽  
Jane Downes ◽  
Paul Robins ◽  
David Sanderson

Summary Two small burnt mounds were excavated as part of the programme to mitigate the impact of motorway construction in the Crawford area. The excavations followed a research strategy designed to address questions of date and function. This paper surveys the various competing theories about burnt mounds and how the archaeological evidence was evaluated against those theories. Both sites produced radiocarbon dates from the Bronze Age and evidence to suggest that they were cooking places. In addition, a short account is presented of two further burnt mounds discovered during the construction of the motorway in Annandale.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 116-123
Author(s):  
A. P. Korzh ◽  
T. V. Zahovalko

Recently, the number of published works devoted to the processes of synanthropization of fauna, is growing like an avalanche, which indicates the extreme urgency of this theme. In our view, the process of forming devices to coexist with human and the results of his life reflects the general tandency of the modern nature evolution. Urbanization is characteristic for such a specific group of animals like amphibians, the evidence of which are numerous literature data. Many researchers use this group to assess the bioindicative quality of the environment. For this aim a variety of indicators are used: from the cellular level of life of organization up to the species composition of the group in different territories. At the same time, the interpretation of the results is not always comparable for different areas and often have significantly different interpretations by experts. Urban environment, primarily due to the contamination is extremely aggressive to amphibians. As a consequence, the urban populations of amphibians may be a change in the demographic structure, affecting the reproductive ability of the population, the disappearance of the most sensitive species or individuals, resizing animals, the appearance of abnormalities in the development, etc. At the same time play an important amphibians in the ecosystems of cities, and some species in these conditions even feel relatively comfortable. Therefore, it is interesting to understand the mechanisms of self-sustaining populations of amphibians in urban environments. To assess the impact of natural and anthropogenic factors on the development of amphibian populations were used cognitive modeling using the program Vensim PLE. Cognitive map of the model for urban and suburban habitat conditions were the same. The differences concerned the strength of connections between individual factors (migration, fertility, pollution) and their orientation. In general, factors like pollution, parasites, predators had negative impact on the population, reducing its number. The birth rate, food and migration contributed to raising number of individuals. Some of the factors affected on the strength to of each other as well: the majority of the factors affected the structure of the population, had an influence on the fertility. Thanks to it the model reflects the additive effect of complex of factors on the subsequent status of the population. Proposed and analyzed four scenarios differing strength and duration of exposure. In the first scenario, a one-time contamination occurs and not subsequently repeated. The second and third scenario assumes half board contamination, 1 year (2 scenario) and two years (scenario 3). In the fourth scenario, the pollution affected the population of amphibians constantly. In accordance with the results of simulation, much weaker than the natural populations respond to pollution - have them as an intensive population growth and its disappearance at constant pollution is slow. Changes to other parameters of the model showed that this pollution is the decisive factor -only the constant action leads to a lethal outcome for the populations. All other components of the model have a corrective effect on the population dynamics, without changing its underlying trand. In urban areas due to the heavy impact of pollution maintaining the population is only possible thanks to the migration process – the constant replenishment of diminishing micropopulations of natural reserves. This confirms the assumption that the form of existence metapopulations lake frog in the city. In order to maintain the number of amphibians in urban areas at a high level it is necessary to maintain existing migration routes and the creation of new ones. Insular nature of the placement of suitable habitats in urban areas causes the metapopulation structure of the types of urbanists. Therefore, the process of urbanization is much easier for those species whicht are capable of migration in conditions of city. In the initial stages of settling the city micropopulationis formed by selective mortality of the most susceptible individuals to adverse effects. In future, maintaining the categories of individuals is provided mainly due to migration processes metapopulisation form of the species of existence is supported). It should be noted that the changes in the previous levels are always saved in future. In the case of reorganizations of individuals we of morphology can assume the existence of extremely adverse environmental conditions that threaten the extinction of the micropopulations. 


Author(s):  
Artem Lapenkov ◽  
Artem Lapenkov ◽  
Yury Zuyev ◽  
Yury Zuyev ◽  
Nadezhda Zuyeva ◽  
...  

Coastal zones have great diversity of resources. The shallow water zones contain the most of plant and benthic communities. A description of relief and type of ground is needed for the rigorous monitoring of biota and environmental condition of coastal zone. Generally, on the basis of these data the investigation methods of the coastal zone are selected. The shallows research strategy has been developed by us for northern part of the Lake Ladoga. If the coastal areas are characterized by great depth and flat topography, then sonar’s can be used to describe them and samples of ground can be taken by bottom grabs. In the Lake Ladoga these methods don’t operate correctly by reason of the compound bottom relief and the fact that a sizeable part of the bottom is occupied by hard ground. Therefore, our investigations base on the diving transect method of Golikov and Skarlato (1965). A diver moves along transects. He registers the depth, length to coastline, water temperature, relief and ground, edificators and records video. In the laboratory all these data are decoded and used for mapping of bays. Studies of plant communities have been performed and strategy for research of benthic communities in complex relief and hard ground conditions has been developed based on the descriptions of shallow waters. Description of the Malay Nikonovskia Bay bottom has given an opportunity to estimate changes in the bottom of the bay under the influence of the trout farm.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document