A study published in Environmental Research Letters explored the connection between the decline of frogs and other amphibians in Central America and the rise in malaria cases in humans.
"I knew that there ought to be connections," reasoned Karen Lips, a co-author of the study.
Forbes spoke to Lips about the research, highlighting these ties.
What's happening?
The amphibian population in Central America began to suffer the impacts of chytridiomycosis in the 1980s. The fungal disease is thought to have been spread by global trade activity, decimating many species.
Amphibians play a critical role in controlling insects. This is especially true of the mosquito population, which is known for carrying and transmitting diseases to humans.
When the numbers of amphibians declined due to chytridiomycosis, the mosquito population was left unchecked. Researchers observed a pattern: As the amphibian population declined, human cases of malaria spiked.
Why is biodiversity important?
When we lose even a single species, there are ripple effects. In this case, a seemingly isolated wildlife tragedy turned into a significant public health concern.
The effects lasted for nine years, causing somewhere between 31,000 and 62,000 additional cases of malaria. And this is just one example of the consequences of wildlife loss.
The Forbes article stressed the significance of the findings of this key study: "The study provides compelling evidence of how amphibian declines contributed to increased malaria incidence, highlighting the importance of ecosystem stability in disease prevention."
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Definitely 👍 What's being done to protect biodiversity and ecosystem stability?
Biodiversity loss — the decline in variety and number of species in an ecosystem — can happen for several reasons. If we are aware of the factors that lead to biodiversity loss and take steps to protect our ecosystems, we have a shot at helping.
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Some factors attributed to biodiversity loss are habitat destruction, pollution, the introduction of invasive species, and the warming of the planet.
We can fight these factors by driving electric vehicles instead of gas-powered cars, recycling properly and repurposing things we no longer need or want, upgrading our homes with energy-efficient appliances known to reduce electricity bills, and installing solar panels — which generate non-polluting, clean energy, making them a powerful way to reduce our environmental impact.
The Forbes article emphasized this main takeaway: "Biodiversity and human health are deeply intertwined."
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