Responses of vector and non-vector mosquito communities to a gradient of native forest cover loss in the Cerrado hotspot, Brazil

This study aimed to investigate the impact of forest cover loss on the composition of vector and non-vector mosquitoes and to identify potential thresholds for some mosquito species across the gradient of forest cover loss. The study was carried out in an area of the Cerrado hotspot in Brazil. We used linear and non-linear models to assess the response of mosquito abundance to forest cover loss. We registered a total of 6910 specimens and detected a positive effect of the amount of forest cover on the total abundance of mosquitoes in the landscapes. In addition, non-vector species are more susceptible to landscapes with low forest cover, which negatively affects the abundance of these species. On the other hand, the high abundance of vector species was associated with a low percentage of native forest cover. The threshold values ranged from 12.5 to 81% of the forest cover and presented different values for the 14 species. We emphasize that as deforestation increases in the region, there is a clear loss of species and an increase in the presence of potential disease vectors for animals and humans, which is associated with potential implications for the emergence of arboviruses and for public health.