Published March 26, 2026
| Version v1
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Invasive plant-induced shifts in water chemistry and microeukaryotes enhance mosquito development
Authors/Creators
- 1. Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gaineville, United States of America|Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain|Aquatische Ökotoxikologie Department, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- 2. Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- 3. Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- 4. School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom|School of Natural Sciences, University of Chester, Chester, United Kingdom
- 5. School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- 6. Departamento de Biología de la Conservación y Cambio Global, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain|Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- 7. IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain|Servei de Control de Mosquits del Consell Comarcal del Baix Llobregat, El Prat de Llobregat, Spain
- 8. Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain|Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Description
Invasive non-native plants can cause ecological, economic, and health impacts worldwide, yet how these impacts cascade from a primary producer to multiple consumers remains poorly understood. Using aquatic microcosms, we examined how replacing the native reed Phragmites australis with the morphologically similar invader Arundo donax (0–100% leaf litter biomass gradient) alters water physicochemistry, microeukaryote assemblages, and the development of Culex pipiens mosquito larvae in northeastern Spain. Microeukaryotes are key players in microbial food webs, and mosquito larvae are microbial consumers. Increased A. donax leaf litter % disrupted microeukaryote taxonomic composition and functional guild structure, mainly due to changes in the density of flagellates, planktonic ciliates, and micrometazoa. Mosquito larval development was mainly driven by changes in water physicochemistry, flagellates, and amoebae. Microcosms with A. donax produced more mosquito pupae of greater weight and shorter development times. Effects emerged even when only 25% of P. australis biomass was replaced by A. donax, suggesting potentially strong nutrient limitations from P. australis leaf litter and posing challenges for defining a management "safe threshold" for A. donax when eradication is unfeasible. This study highlights A. donax leaf litter as a potential promoter of mosquito development and underscores the role of water chemistry and microeukaryotes in mediating its effects.
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