Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2009, Environmental Science

Constructed, created and restored wetlands are gaining popularity due to multiple benefits they provide. However, there is a concern that wetlands increase mosquito breeding in urban areas. This is especially due to the recent concern regarding mosquito borne viral encephalitis and other diseases. Published studies to quantify mosquito population in constructed and natural wetlands are inconclusive. This study quantified the population of mosquitoes from two experimental flow-through created wetlands and two stormwater fed wetland at the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park (ORWRP) in Columbus, Ohio in summer. Sampled mosquitoes were identified to species level to investigate their disease vector potential. The study also compared mono specific and multispecies small (1 m2) mesocosms being used for another experiment. The flow-through created wetlands were less conducive to mosquito breeding compared to the pond (p<0.00001) and stormwater wetland (p=0.002). Outflow regions and emergent vegetation sites in the flow-through wetlands were most conducive to mosquito breeding than were inflows (p=0.009) and floating vegetation sites (p=0.023). Mixed vegetation communities (Sparganium eurycarpum, Juncus effusus, and Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani) rather than mono specific Typha communities provided most conducive environment for mosquito breeding (p<0.0001). Mesocosm plots with steady inflow (10 cm depth) and with deep water (20 cm) in summer and shallow water (5 cm) in spring had higher mosquito densities than did mesocosm plots with pulsed flow (10 cm depth with inflow rate according to the river stage) and deep water (20 cm) in spring and shallow water (5 cm) in fall. Among water quality parameters, conductivity (p=0.004) and, to a lesser extent, dissolved oxygen (p=0.052) correlated with mosquito larval density (adjusted R2 of 0.67). Six mosquito species identified in all water bodies were Cx. pipiens, Cx. salinarius, Cx. restuans, Ur. sapphirina, An. quadrimaculatu (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Parwinder Grewal PhD (Advisor); Timothy Buckley PhD (Committee Member); Woodbridge A. Foster PhD (Committee Member); William J. Mitsch PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science