Integrating demographic and meteorological data in urban ecology: a case study of container‐breeding mosquitoes in temperate Argentina

摘要: Cities are unique ecosystems emerging and growing worldwide due to ongoing urbanising trends. The urban–rural gradient is an excellent setting evaluate the effect of urbanisation on distribution species, a matter public health concern in case disease vectors. Despite this, such distributions affected by other co-occurring variables, mainly meteorological, that may be confounded urban heat island maritime climatological conditions coastal cities. To aid design ecological studies within transition zone, mapping protocol was designed applied Buenos Aires City its surroundings. Based road density district-level population counts, detailed (1 km 2 pixel) map obtained which, combined with temperature map, rendered final × product six classes. resulting zonation tested modelling vector mosquitoes Aedes aegypti Culex pipiens artificial containers. selected model explained occurrence 59% better than chance as function categories natural lighting condition container. This novel approach allows partitioning environmental heterogeneity prior selection study sites avoid confounding gradients provides multiple advantages, making comparisons across cities easier, extrapolating results site-scale experiments identifying priority areas for control measures.