Data and code from: Impact of bauxite mining on mosquito communities (Diptera: Culicidae) and pathogen transmission risks in the eastern Amazon
Data files
Jun 30, 2026 version files 17.94 KB
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dataset_submission.zip
11.68 KB
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README.md
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README.zip
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Abstract
Mining activities pose significant and often underestimated threats to tropical forests, with distinct ecological implications for various taxa, including mosquitoes. This study aimed to investigate the effects of bauxite mining on the diversity, composition, and blood-feeding habits of mosquito communities in the Eastern Amazon. The research was conducted in the operational area of Mineração Paragominas S.A., located in the state of Pará, Brazil, where mosquitoes were collected using CDC light traps and active search methods. Species-level taxonomic identification was performed using morphological keys and molecular techniques. Blood meal sources were identified by targeting three mitochondrial genes: 16S, COI, and Cytb. Diversity analyses were based on Rényi entropy and rarefaction and extrapolation curves, while compositional changes were assessed through Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA). Results showed that bauxite mining significantly alters mosquito community structure in the Eastern Amazon, with critical public health implications. Three main ecological patterns were identified: (1) increased abundance of vector and anthropophilic species (e.g., Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus) in mining areas, demonstrating their capacity to invade, establish, and proliferate in remote forest habitats; (2) shifts in community composition, with the replacement of forest-dwelling species by generalists in degraded areas; and (3) a reduction in the richness of blood sources in impacted areas, compromising the protective dilution effect typically observed in preserved ecosystems. These findings identify mining zones as hotspots for spillover and spillback events, underscoring the need for integrated monitoring (vector–pathogen–host) and artificial breeding site control to mitigate public health risks.
Description of the data and file structure
Occurrence data of mosquitoes and vertebrate hosts were collected in a bauxite mining area from July 2022 to May 2023 to assess changes in mosquito diversity, community composition, and blood-feeding behavior in response to environmental disturbances.
Folder and File Structure
dataset_submission/
individual_based_rarefaction_and_extrapolation_curves/
Rarefaction_Analysis.R
PCoA_and_venn_diagram/
Principal_Coordinates_Analysis.R
renyi_entropy/
Rényi_entropy.R
mosquito_species_area_list.csv
mosquito_species_sampling_units_list.csv
raw_data_file.csv
Species_Identification_Codes.csv
Description of Files
Key data
mosquito_species_area_list.csv
Contains three columns: species, forest, mining.
Each row represents one of the 35 species (sp1–sp35) with their abundances in forest and mining areas.
Used in the Rarefaction, PCoA (area), and Rényi entropy scripts.
mosquito_species_sampling_units_list.csv
Contains six columns: species, Continuous forest, Roadside, Office, Stations, Pasture.
Each row represents one of the 35 species (sp1–sp35) with their abundances in the five types of sampling units.
Used in the Rarefaction, PCoA (units), Venn, and Rényi entropy scripts.
Raw_data_file.csv
Raw data from collections.
Allows you to reconstruct the aggregated datasets used in the analyses.
columns explanation
Country: Country of collection.
State: State of collection.
Municipality: Municipality of collection.
Sampling units: Specific collection point (e.g., "OF: Office", "CF: Continuous Forest", "ST: Stations", "PA: Pasture" and "RO: Roadside").
Area: Type of collection area (Mining or Forest).
Geographic coordinate: Geographic coordinates of the collection point.
Campaign: Collection campaign number (first to sixth).
Date: Date of collection.
Seasonality: Seasonality at the time of collection (Rainy or Dry).
Collection: Collection method (CDC light trap or Active search: AS).
Genus: Mosquito genus.
Subgenus: Mosquito subgenus.
Specie: Mosquito species, when identified.
N: Number of specimens collected.
Sex: Specimen sex (E.G., "Male: M", "Female: F", "Unidentified: U.N.").
Engorged: Indicates if the mosquito was blood-engorged (Yes, No).
Host vertebrates: Name of the vertebrate species identified in the blood meal sample, if applicable.
Note: undefined ("NA")
Species_Identification_Codes.csv
List of the full names of the 35 mosquito species.
Lists the codes sp1–sp35 used in the files with the full taxonomic names.
Analysis Scripts
- Rarefaction Analysis
File: individual_based_rarefaction_and_extrapolation_curves/Rarefaction_Analysis.R
Generates rarefaction and extrapolation curves for areas (Forest, Mining) and sampling units.
Input: mosquito_species_area_list.csv and mosquito_species_sampling_units_list.csv.
Output: rarefaction graphs in .png format. - Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) & Venn Diagram
File: PCoA_and_venn_diagram/Principal_Coordinates_Analysis.R
Performs ordination analyses (PCoA) based on species abundance.
Includes the calculation of similarity between areas/units and the generation of clustering ellipses.
It also generates Venn diagrams showing shared species.
Input: mosquito_species_area_list.csv and mosquito_species_sampling_units_list.csv.
Output: PCoA and Venn diagrams in .png format. - Rényi Entropy
File: renyi_entropy/Rényi_entropy.R
Calculates Rényi diversity profiles to compare communities.
Input: mosquito_species_area_list.csv and mosquito_species_sampling_units_list.csv.
Output: Rényi entropy profile graphs in .png.
Code/Software
The R scripts were used for all statistical and graphical analyses presented in the manuscript. They were executed in RStudio with version 4.4.2 and rely on packages such as vegan, iNEXT, ggplot2, dplyr, limma, and tidyr.
Note:
The raw data (raw_data_file.csv) can be used to reconstruct the aggregated tables used in the scripts.