Keep your natural enemies close – native predators can maintain low mosquito densities in temporary ponds in a malaria expansion area in Northern Tanzania

Mataba, Gordian Rocky; Kafula, Yusuph A.; Mwaijengo, Grite Nelson; Snoeks, Joren M.; Brendonck, Luc; Vanschoenwinkel, Bram

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148606

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…An additional generalised linear model assuming a Gaussian distribution was used to test for differences in soil nutrients between sites with Helichrysum species and sites without Helichrysum species across zones of historical land use (‘grazed crop’, ‘grazed’ and ‘wild’). Pearson correlations were used to detect linear associations between the abundances of each of the four Helichrysum species and different soil nutrients (Mataba et al., 2021). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to visualise the clustering of the four Helichrysum species across different zones of historical land use and to visualise their potential association with soil chemical constituents.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The interplay between historical land‐use and the distribution of Helichrysum shrubs in an African‐protected grassland

Mgimba,

Smith,

Ngondya

et al. 2024

Afr J Ecol

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Human land use can have lasting impacts on landscape characteristic, yet there remains a lack of information on how former land use affects plant communities in protected African grasslands. In this study, we investigated how land uses prior to the creation of Kitulo National Park, Tanzania, shaped the presence and abundance of the native shrub, Helichrysum species. We evaluated both plant species composition and soil properties across the park by dividing our sample into three different zones of historical land use based on participatory mapping. We divided the park into three former land uses: (1) livestock grazed and cultivated; (2) grazed only and (3) wild grazing with limited human impact. We observed that former grazed cultivated land use had five times higher Helichrysum abundance than former ‘wild’ land use. Soil pH, magnesium and phosphorus levels varied significantly across zones of historical land use but not between sites with and without Helichrysum species. Helichrysum splendidum was more abundant in soils with low soil phosphorus and magnesium concentrations. Our study demonstrates that historic grazing and cropping land uses through changes in soil nutrient properties can explain current Helichrysum species spread in protected areas. As such, conservation management plans would benefit from integrating mapping of former land uses to target interventions for problematic encroaching shrubs.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The interplay between historical land‐use and the distribution of Helichrysum shrubs in an African‐protected grassland

Mgimba,

Smith,

Ngondya

et al. 2024

Afr J Ecol

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“…This can illustrate how the differential sensitivity to pesticides in predators and prey may affect the effectiveness of larval control strategies using pesticides. The used dragonfly predator is the nymphal Pantala flavescens (Libellulidae), which co-occurs with larval C. quinquefasciatus (Ilahi et al, 2019;Mataba et al, 2021) and is known to feed on mosquito larvae (Ilahi et al, 2019). However, its effect on C. quinquefasciatus oviposition is not known.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactive effects of dragonfly larvae and Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis on mosquito oviposition and survival

Mataba,

Clark,

Kweka

et al. 2023

Ecosphere

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The biological larvicide Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) is used worldwide to control reproduction of mosquitoes in freshwater habitats. However, its impact on the ecosystem including nontarget species is often unclear. In addition, it is unknown how Bti larvicide may interact with local mosquito predators to shape oviposition site selection of mosquitoes. We used an outdoor mesocosm experiment to investigate the effects of realistic concentrations of the bio‐larvicide Bti on Culex oviposition, larval density, survivorship, and on densities of nontarget species. We also manipulated the complexity of the community by manipulating the presence of dragonfly larvae as a predator. Culex oviposition was unaffected by Bti but the larvicide effectively reduced larval density and survivorship in all treatments. Bti did not affect nontarget insects but stimulated phytoplankton density at the expense of lower herbivore density. The presence of dragonfly larvae in mesocosms did not reduce Culex oviposition or larval sensitivity to Bti. We conclude that Bti may effectively reduce the density and survivorship of Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes in this part of East Africa, but possibly at the cost of higher phytoplankton densities. Bti‐treated mesocosms were not more or less attractive for mosquitoes, suggesting that its application would not alter their oviposition behavior in the field.

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“…For example, biological control through the use of predators is common and efficacious in aquatic systems by targeting the larval stage (Shalaan and Canyon, 2009;Batzer and Murray, 2018;Mataba et al, 2021), albeit with limitations (Dambach, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cattle dung in aquatic habitats alters mosquito predatory biocontrol dynamics

et al. 2022

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Keep your natural enemies close – native predators can maintain low mosquito densities in temporary ponds in a malaria expansion area in Northern Tanzania

Cited by 7 publications

References 51 publications

The interplay between historical land‐use and the distribution of Helichrysum shrubs in an African‐protected grassland

The interplay between historical land‐use and the distribution of Helichrysum shrubs in an African‐protected grassland

Interactive effects of dragonfly larvae and Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis on mosquito oviposition and survival

Cattle dung in aquatic habitats alters mosquito predatory biocontrol dynamics

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