A Place-Based Conceptual Model (PBCM) of Neotricula aperta/Schistosoma mekongi habitat before and after dam construction in the Lower Mekong River
Issued Date
2023-10-01
Resource Type
eISSN
19352735
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85174640702
Pubmed ID
37801463
Journal Title
PLoS neglected tropical diseases
Volume
17
Issue
10
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
PLoS neglected tropical diseases Vol.17 No.10 (2023) , e0011122
Suggested Citation
Lanza G.R., Upatham S., Chen A. A Place-Based Conceptual Model (PBCM) of Neotricula aperta/Schistosoma mekongi habitat before and after dam construction in the Lower Mekong River. PLoS neglected tropical diseases Vol.17 No.10 (2023) , e0011122. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0011122 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/90839
Title
A Place-Based Conceptual Model (PBCM) of Neotricula aperta/Schistosoma mekongi habitat before and after dam construction in the Lower Mekong River
Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
In 1971, scientists from Mahidol University in Thailand and the Smithsonian Institution in the USA formed a research team to study a new species of Schistosoma in the Mekong River in Thailand and Laos. The studies, completed during 1971-1973, prior to the construction of any dams or restrictions to the natural flow regime of the Mekong River, provide a unique description of the natural ecological state of the river that can serve as a baseline for current research. The natural transmission of Schistosoma japonicum, Mekong Strain, was first reported on Khong Island, Laos in 1973 using sentinel mice. The first detailed description of the habitat ecology of the snail vector Neotricula aperta was done on-site in 1971 simultaneously with that research and is unique in providing the only description of the river shoreline habitat before any dams were built and any alteration of the natural flow regime was in place. Aggregating current information in a Place-Based Conceptual Model (PBCM) as an organizing template, along with current habitat models that combine ecological data with e-flows, can be developed and used as a tool to predict suitable habitats for snails. The natural flow regime of the Mekong River prior to any impoundments is described with current updates on the potential impacts of climate change and dams with flow-related snail habitat characteristics, including sediment drift and water quality. The application of the PBCM to describe and compare descriptive information on current and potential future N. aperta/S. mekongi habitat is discussed.