A Lack of “Environmental Earth Data” at the Microhabitat Scale Impacts Efforts to Control Invasive Arthropods That Vector Pathogens

Abstract

We currently live in an era of major global change that has led to the introduction and range expansion of numerous invasive species worldwide. In addition to the ecological and economic consequences associated with most invasive species, invasive arthropods that vector pathogens (IAVPs) to humans and animals pose substantial health risks. Species distribution models that are informed using environmental Earth data are frequently employed to predict the distribution of invasive species, and to advise targeted mitigation strategies. However, there are currently substantial mismatches in the temporal and spatial resolution of these data and the environmental contexts which affect IAVPs. Consequently, targeted actions to control invasive species or to prepare the population for possible disease outbreaks may lack efficacy. Here, we identify and discuss how the currently available environmental Earth data are lacking with respect to their applications in species distribution modeling, particularly when predicting the potential distribution of IAVPs at meaningful space-time scales. For example, we examine the issues related to interpolation of weather station data and the lack of microclimatic data relevant to the environment experienced by IAVPs. In addition, we suggest how these data gaps can be filled, including through the possible development of a dedicated open access database, where data from both remotely- and proximally-sensed sources can be stored, shared, and accessed.

Cool shade and not‐so‐cool shade: How habitat loss may accelerate thermal stress under current and future climate

“…Microhabitats are ecological resources that promote species' coexistence and provide individual animals with diverse thermoregulatory opportunities (Garcia & Clusella‐Trullas, 2019; Jorgensen, 2004; Li et al, 2017; Magnuson et al, 1979; Pascoe et al, 2019; Scheffers et al, 2014). In this study, we modelled the relative importance of one open and six shaded microhabitats to a small desert lizard.…”

Overcoming Data Scarcity in Earth Science

“…The main goal of the Special Issue "Overcoming Data Scarcity in Earth Science" in the Data journal, was to emphasize the body of knowledge that aims at enhancing the capacity of exploiting the available data to better characterize, understand, predict, and manage the behavior of environmental systems at all practical scales. This Special Issue contains six publications (three research articles, one review, and two data descriptors) covering a wide range of environmental disciplines: hydrology [10], water quality [11], meteorology/climatology [12,13], ecology [14], and geophysics [15].…”

“…In their thorough review, Pascoe et al identified and discussed how the currently available environmental Earth data are lacking concerning their applications in species distribution modeling, mainly when predicting the potential distribution of invasive arthropods that vector pathogens (IAVPs) at significant space-time scales [14]. The authors examined the issues related to the interpolation of weather-station data, and the lack of microclimatic data, which is significant to the environment experienced by IAVPs.…”

Assessing the re-introduction ofAedes aegyptiin Europe. Will the Yellow Fever Mosquito colonize the Old World?

“…The copyright holder for this preprint (which this version posted June 4, 2020. ; https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.04.133785 doi: bioRxiv preprint arena allowed us to reduce dramatically the structure of Ae. aegypti life cycle, and therefore the computing burden of the model, while retaining temporal, spatial and "biological" resolutions relevant for our questions (Pascoe et al, 2019). Model output consisted in a numerical matrix containing the daily number of individuals in each life stage for each 250 m cell of each study area, for each iteration.…”