Hello Conor,
Thank you for sharing these observations. Unfortunately, these are
not simple questions to answer, as it would take a prolonged and
rigorous discourse on many of the disciplines of ecology to address all
the issues. I don't know what chemical your county uses for mosquito
control but probably it is not specific to mosquitoes and would affect
other insects just as strongly. Fewer bees probably does equate with
fewer flowering plants. Are mosquitoes ecologically important? In some
places it is a resounding yes -- for example, in places where malaria is
abundant, mosquitoes as the primary vector for malaria were a major
control on human populations (i.e., mosquitoes promoted a high death
rate). Are they a key stone in your community? Probably not, but if you
lump them with the rest of the insects that are locally scarce due to
pesticides, you could reasonably expect a significant ecological
response. For example, the birds and bats which rely on insects for food
are likely to be affected. But, on the other hand, mosquitoes are a
primary vector for West Nile Virus and WNV kills many species of birds
-- hence, eliminating mosquitoes could be a benefit to the bird
community. Hopefully you see my point -- the interactions that go on in
a situation such as this are hugely complex and dynamic, so its tough to
give a simple yes/no kind of answer. I realize I've probably frustrated
you more than helped, but that's kind of the way ecology goes (in my
opinion).
Keep up with the good observations, and let your local community know
what you are seeing (i.e., a letter to the editor of your local paper).
I bet you'll find more people than just yourself care.
Michael Cooperman
Post-doctoral Fellow of the National Research Council in residence at
NOAA-Fisheries, NE Fisheries Science Center.
Conor Flynn wrote:
Our field crew is working in the extensive wetlands surrounding Alamosa,
CO and we've noticed something interesting: there are no mosquitoes in or
near Alamosa.
This is because the city sprays for them regularly. We're not
complaining... but we have also noticed fewer grasshoppers, bees, and
frogs than we might otherwise expect. Are these (and other) species
directly affected by the insecticide (which chemicals are used post-DDT?)
and/or are mosquitoes ecologically important -- even keystone -- species?
What happens when you remove a parasite from the foodweb? Our field crew
is, among other things, cataloging the vegetation in the area -- could we
expect to see e.g. fewer flowering plants? Anything else we could look
for? Is anyone doing research on this quasi-Silent Spring phenomenon or
know more about the possible ramifications of parasite/pest control?
