UMD Study suggests the type of plants in disadvantaged neighborhoods may explain higher mosquito abundance and disease risks.
A recent study by University of Maryland researchers identified knowledge gaps that could help explain why economically disadvantaged neighborhoods have higher rates of mosquito infestations, putting them at greater risk for mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus, Dengue fever, and LaCrosse encephalitis. The study suggests more research is needed on the relationship between socioeconomics and plant species in neighborhoods and the impact of that relationship on mosquito survival and abundance. The study was published in the journal Ecosphere on March 25, 2026.
“Our study showed that the species of plants present in different neighborhoods is likely to be important in understanding inequitable patterns of disease transmission,” said Sarah Rothman (PhD ’24), a lecturer in the Department of Environmental Science and Technology and lead author of the study. “But why and how that matters are largely unknown, so we call on future studies of urban mosquito ecology to explicitly acknowledge and incorporate fine-scale differences in plant communities along socioeconomic gradients.”
To conduct the study, Rothman reviewed scientific literature from a variety of disciplines to present a more complete, holistic understanding of urban mosquito socioecology. The results showed that infection rates for diseases transmitted by mosquitoes are usually higher on socioeconomically disadvantaged blocks. This is likely due to the higher abundances and larger sizes of mosquitoes consistently reported in those locations.
But why there are more and larger mosquitoes in poorer neighborhoods is not well understood. Scientists have established that containers that can collect water and fallen leaves serve as a nursery ground for developing mosquito larvae, and that more leaf material typically results in more and larger mosquitoes. But that notion conflicts with studies revealing that disadvantaged areas tend to have less greenery (which would lead to less plant debris), not more. Other studies by Rothman and others show that the quality and type of plant debris, as well as the types of water collection vessels, may influence mosquito abundance as much or more than simply the amount of plant material. In addition, different mosquito species prefer different environments.
In a follow up study that was published earlier this year in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Rothman surveyed plant communities on blocks in Baltimore and DC that differed in median annual household incomes and percentage of abandoned infrastructure She found less vegetative cover on the ground and in the canopy on lower-income properties and differences in the plant species based on income bracket. For example, canopies on lower-income blocks were dominated by invasive trees and vines, while canopies on higher-income blocks largely comprised native trees.
Many studies on urban greenspace only compare total amounts of greenery by satellite, but Rothman’s work highlights the importance of the plant species present, and identifies relevant gaps in understanding the dynamics between mosquitos and their environment at the neighborhood scale. She says much more needs to be done to explain the relationship between plant species, particularly native versus non-native or invasive plants and mosquito populations, and how feeding behavior, body size, and mosquito diversity may change along income gradients.
Filling in this missing information could help urban planners, city managers, and public health officials develop better management strategies to reduce mosquito populations and the resultant vector-borne diseases across urban areas.
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Note: As the research study was going to press, Sarah Rothman moved on from UMD to become a Science and Technology Policy Fellow in the Legislative Branch of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
