IAP-24-073

Can restored landscapes mitigate disease outbreaks? The effects of habitat restoration on zoonotic vector-borne disease risk in Scotland

The dual impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss pose existential threats to health, food security and ecosystem stability across the globe. To mitigate these effects, many countries, including the UK, are developing environmental policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions and biodiversity conservation. Nature-based solutions that restore missing ecosystem functions are being implemented, including woodland and wetland restoration. In Scotland, reintroduction of beavers has resulted in widespread wetland creation with significant biodiversity benefits (Law et al 2017) and targets support increased native woodland cover (Scottish Government 2020). Despite the clear ecological benefits of these strategies, they could have indirect impacts on changing vector-borne disease (VBD) risk (https://restoreid.eu/ ).

At least 34 mosquito species are native to the UK; and are associated with wetland habitats and wet woodlands (Hawkes et al., 2020). Several of these species also have potential to act as vectors for emerging vector-borne diseases including West Nile Virus and Usutu virus. Recent research in our team revealed mosquitoes are common and widespread throughout Scotland (https://www.mosquito-scotland.com/). While many areas of the UK have historically been considered climatically unsuitable for mosquito VBD transmission, climate change is likely to increase risk (Baylis, 2017). However, it is unknown whether wetland and woodland creation and restoration programmes could alter the risk of human exposure to mosquitoes and potential VBD risk.

This project will leverage pilot data from Scotland-wide mosquito surveillance and unique landscape scale experiments representing successional stages of wetland and woodland restoration to address this knowledge gap. The objectives are to examine associations between habitat restoration, mosquito vector ecology and VBD risk; with the overarching goal of guiding conservation strategies that protect biodiversity and health (Medlock & Vaux 2015).

The PhD student will use a mixture of field, laboratory, quantitative and qualitative methods to characterise mosquito communities and VBD risk across a gradient of habitat restoration. All fieldwork will be conducting in collaboration with the Mosquito Scotland programme, RestorEID, and natural landscape experiments based out of Stirling University. The methodology includes:
1) Mosquito trapping to quantify abundance and diversity of mosquitoes across wetlands of different ages and management strategies and woodlands that vary in age and connectivity to other broadleaf woodlands (Watts et al 2016)
2) Use of Earth Observation Data for habitat characterisation and comparison to collected data on mosquito communities and available biodiversity data from sites (i.e. ultrasonic acoustic data to measure bat activity and assess potential mosquito predators)
3) Identification of mosquito species and analysis of VBD risk to human and wildlife health using data on vector competence.
4) Use of citizen science data and qualitative methods to assess people’s experience of mosquitoes at neighbouring restored habitats.
5) Statistical modelling to detect differences in mosquito community diversity, restored habitat characteristics, and VBD risk between different restored wetlands and woodlands. This will be used to assess ecosystem services and disservices that may arise during different stages of restoration.

Year 1

Overview and training in techniques used in PhD – including deploying mosquito traps, mosquito identification, and laboratory analysis of archived samples. The student will conduct a literature review and use this to inform experimental and sampling design. A training needs assessment will be used to tailor bespoke training needs (i.e. advanced statistics, field sampling methodology). First field season to set up trapping grids, collect baseline data, trial sampling strategies, and liaise with stakeholders. Collation and analysis of existing biodiversity data to quantify predators in wetland (invertebrate sampling, acoustics) and woodland (acoustics, eDNA) sites.

Year 2

Initiation of citizen science and qualitative analyses to assess people’s knowledge and experience of mosquitoes at wetlands. Final fieldwork and mosquito species identification. Collation of early results of cross-sectional data and integration of biodiversity assessment data available from habitat restoration assessments. Attendence of national conference to present results.

Year 3

Analysis of quantitative and qualitative data on mosquito ecology, biodiversity and VBD risk. Start of writing up as individual research papers. International conference attendance to present results.

Year 3.5

Writing and analysis for publication and thesis.

The student will benefit from a mix of field, lab and computing techniques, all of which are professional transferable skills. Specific skills relevant to key PhD objectives includes: ecological study design and field project management, mosquito sampling and identification, use and analysis of citizen science and questionnaire data, collection and analysis of Earth Observation Data, interpretation and processing of rapid biodiversity assessment data (i.e. acoustic monitors) and spatial analyses. All field work will be conducting in collaboration with the Mosquito Scotland, RestorEID and restoration projects led by supervisors at Stirling University. Further skills development will be supported through IAPETUS specific provision and external courses (i.e. statistical analysis with R, media training; insights to industry; leadership skills; and grant writing).

The supervisory team are highly experienced in mosquito biology (HF), freshwater science (AL), restoration ecology (AL/EFM), and landscape disease ecology (CF). The student will have access to a breadth of facilities at Glasgow and Stirling, with inclusive and productive lab groups and PhD cohorts at these institutions. The student will also engage with large research projects (RestorEID (https://restoreid.eu/ ) and Mosquito Scotland (https://www.mosquito-scotland.com/)).

In addition to skills acquired from the above, the student will also have opportunity to engage with policy. They will present findings at regular stakeholders meetings with Public and Animal Health, and Scottish, UK governments, and EU organizations. This will equip the student for a future career related to planetary health; spanning academic research and policy.