Mitigating Future Avian Malaria Threats to Hawaiian Forest Birds from Climate Change.

ABSTRACT: Avian malaria, transmitted by Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes in the Hawaiian Islands, has been a primary contributor to population range limitations, declines, and extinctions for many endemic Hawaiian honeycreepers. Avian malaria is strongly influenced by climate; therefore, predicted future changes are expected to expand transmission into higher elevations and intensify and lengthen existing transmission periods at lower elevations, leading to further population declines and potential extinction of highly susceptible honeycreepers in mid- and high-elevation forests. Based on future climate changes and resulting malaria risk, we evaluated the viability of alternative conservation strategies to preserve endemic Hawaiian birds at mid and high elevations through the 21st century. We linke

SUBMITTER: Liao W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5218566 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature