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<br />seasonal drying. Taxa are most abundant and diverse in <br />the shallow, warmer waters of bulrush stands. Open <br />water has the most water column invertebrates. <br />Conclusion: The Preserve wetlands contains an abundant <br />food source of invertebrates for all life stages of <br />razorback suckers. The riverine community contains a <br />good benthic invertebrate food source for adult <br />razorback suckers. <br />(b) Mosquitoes <br />The residents of Moab Valley are concerned about health <br />issues associated with the high numbers of mosquitoes <br />produced in the Preserve. TNC hired biologist Ken <br />Kingsley to determine the status of mosquitoes and <br />their habitat within the Preserve. Kingsley (1993) <br />identified several species of mosquito larvae and <br />adults and found a variety of mosquito habitats that <br />exist or that could potentially exist within the <br />Preserve. These include habitats that are permanent, <br />semi-permanent, and rarely occurring seasonal habitat. <br />Two types of mosquitoes inhabit the Preserve, flood <br />water mosquitoes and standing water mosquitoes. Flood <br />water mosquitoes lay eggs in substrate prone to <br />flooding. Eggs hatch enmass shortly after inundation. <br />Populations of flood water mosquitoes increase too <br />rapidly for predators to affect numbers. These <br />mosquitos can travel miles from their hatch site. The <br />flooding of the Preserve in 1993 produced high numbers <br />of flood-water species, which were absent in <br />populations by late July. <br />Standing water mosquitoes lay eggs in shallow, still <br />water and produce several generations during the <br />season. These mosquitoes do not travel far from their <br />larval site. A healthy predator population can <br />significantly reduce standing water mosquito numbers. <br />Standing water mosquitoes occurring in the Preserve <br />include Anopheles freeborni, which is known to transmit <br />malaria, and Culex tarsalis, which is known to transmit <br />Western Equine Encephalitis (sleeping sickness). Three <br />other species were also identified. The presence of <br />mosquitoes that transmit diseases concerns the <br />residents of Moab. Fear of disease was heightened in <br />August 1993 when two cases of Western Equine <br />Encephalitis appeared two weeks apart in the sentinel <br />chicken flock kept east of the Preserve. <br />Significantly, the Preserve also supports high numbers <br />of mosquito predators. Larvae predators include <br />21 <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />