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Fig. 10 | Malaria Journal

Fig. 10

From: Systematic identification of plausible pathways to potential harm via problem formulation for investigational releases of a population suppression gene drive to control the human malaria vector Anopheles gambiae in West Africa

Fig. 10

Pathway 8 Biodiversity: Potential reductions in densities of valued species or ecosystem services due to poor nutrient composition of aquatic habitats could be caused by potentially increased dsxFCRISPRh transgenic larval mortality. A population suppression gene drive does not a priori have to result in higher mortality during aquatic stages. Therefore, this pathway is plausible without necessarily being likely. Indeed, the net effect from reductions in the density of aquatic stages caused by population suppression gene drive may be to reduce detritus. In addition, many species of the complex, especially An. gambiae s.s., prefer aquatic habitats that contain clean water, are sunlit, lack vegetation and are ephemeral. They are thus unlikely to represent significant habitats for valued species

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