Scientists and conservationists have long led the battle cry for preserving biodiversity, but the average Joe tends to question what all that racket is about. So what if we lose a few species here and there? We could do with a few less bugs anyway.
University of Vermont biologist Joe Roman and EPA scientist Montira Pongsiri uncovered an important answer to the "so what?" question. In a recent paper they published in the journal BioScience, they claim there's a link between reduced biodiversity and a rise in infectious diseases.
Black-legged tick.
Photo: © USDA ARS/Scott Bauer
Roman, Pongsiri, and 7 other coauthors reviewed studies of new or reemerging diseases, and found a common thread - decreasing biodiversity - related to their prevalence.
One study showed a relationship between deforestation in the Amazon and higher rates of malaria. When fewer tree species were present in the forest, Anopheles darlingi mosquitoes gained a stronghold. Not only were there more of the malaria carrying mosquitoes, but their biting rates increased.
A study of Lyme disease provided another example. Forest fragmentation and losses from development have led to a lesser biodiversity of mammals. But white-footed mice thrive in these patchy habitats, since they have less competition and fewer predators. The white-footed mouse is the best reservoir for the Lyme disease bacteria, which is then transmitted to humans or other animals by black-legged ticks. More white-footed mice, more Lyme-infected ticks. More infected ticks, more people contracting Lyme disease.
"We're not saying that biodiversity loss is the primary driver for all of these emerging diseases," says Roman, "but it appears to be playing an important role."
"We're trying to make the case that all of these environmental changes we're making, because they are anthropogenic, can be managed, can be controlled," says Pongsiri. "We may be able to actually reduce or prevent these diseases by managing for biodiversity from the genetic level to the habitat level."
Source: 'BioScience' Study: Species Down, Disease Up, Dec. 2, 2009
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Comments
I bird all year and my closest birder buddy who is much more knowledgeable/experienced about birds than I is a “magnet” for ticks. We usually bird every Tuesday in a large state park near Indiana, PA. She has had her hubby pull ticks off her quite often after we’ve been at Yellow Creek and as she says and most articles point out, the ticks are tiny and hard to see usually. She was on antibiotics once not long ago as she didn’t discover one til after a few days and had the target, etc. I was bitten by one on the stomach about 2 months ago (hurt like the dickens) and when I told her about it she said that it was probably a dog or other kind of tick but better to be safe than sorry. I made an appt. for next day to have doc check the bite out (I was able to pull the tick out INTACT which is very important and I put it in a baggy for the doc). He said yes, it was a deer tick and a female so probably was ok also since that was within 24 hours. I told my friend that he said she had probably been bitten by nymphs which are harder to see and also more volatile! The one in my stomach looked exactly like the picture you’ve shown. I do not want Lyme Disease as I knew 1 student and 1 student teacher when I worked who had that and for one it was very debilitating!!! (Not gotten in time either.) Thanks for this article…
You’re welcome. I’ve had my own bout with Lyme disease. I contracted it when I was just 8 years old, long before the medical community even knew what it was. My parents never noticed a tick on me, but I had the classic bulls-eye rash and all the symptoms. You’re smart to be vigilant about any deer tick bites. Left undetected or untreated, Lyme disease can really do some long term damage.