Malaria mosquitoes expand their habitat by five kilometers a year

20 February 2023, 21:13 | Technologies
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Scientists from Georgetown University say that malaria-carrying mosquitoes are taking over new territories at a speed of five kilometers a year.. And this is facilitated by an increase in the average temperature on the planet, according to Science Alert..

During the study, scientists studied the habitat of 22 species of Anopheles mosquitoes from 1898 to 2016.. During this time, the average temperature in the world rose by at least 1.2 degrees Celsius.. And this opened up new areas that are suitable for mosquitoes..

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This has resulted in mosquitoes spreading south 4.7 kilometers a year and rising 6.5 meters.. This is larger and faster than estimates from a 2011 study that reported that, across the board, terrestrial species moved 1.7 km per year poleward and 1.1 meters upward each year.. Then this speed turned out to be about two to three times higher than previously thought..

New study suggests that Anopheles mosquitoes have moved so far south that, on average, they are now found 500 kilometers farther and 700 meters higher than they were in the mid-twentieth century..

Mosquitoes can travel huge distances with gusts of wind. But they are sensitive to changes in temperature, humidity and precipitation, so their habitat determines the local climate..

Global warming not only expands the habitat of mosquitoes, but also increases the time of their activity, scientists say..

Other species of mosquitoes are expanding at about the same rate, researchers say, but more research is needed to confirm this..

Previously, scientists said that prickly pear cacti, which are commonly seen in hot dry areas like the Grand Canyon, have begun to spread in the Alps.. This is evidence of climate change that is taking place on Earth..




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