Vector-borne diseases are inextricably linked to environmental conditions through the strong effects of the environment on general insect ecology. Malaria is the most important vector-borne disease for public health because of its wide distribution and the degree of morbidity and morality it causes. The connection between the environment and vector-borne diseases is exemplified by the linkage between malaria parasites and the mosquitoes that transmit them. Of all of the environmental conditions that affect mosquitoes, temperature is the one of the most important because it affects essentially every stage of the lifecycle. The influence of temperature on mosquito populations is highly complex, as the effects of temperature on various processes are non-linear and difficult to predict. In addition, the development rate of the malaria parasite is also temperature-dependent for the part of its lifecycle that occurs within the mosquito vector. This further increases the effect of the environment on transmission. As global climate changes, the importance of understanding the impacts of temperature on mosquitoes will become more critical to the management of epidemiological challenges.;The work presented in this dissertation focuses on the effects of temperature on mosquito population dynamics, adult age structure and the potential for malaria transmission. To explore this line of questioning, I developed a stage-structured temperature-dependent delayed differential equation model. Using different temperature regimes, including constant, fluctuating, historic and future projected temperatures I analyzed the model to understand the effects of temperature on mosquito population dynamics, adult age structure and the potential for malaria transmission. The results indicate that temperature has a greater and more complex impact on adult mosquito abundance and survival than previously thought. For example, I show that the abundance of adults that have lived long enough to potentially vector malaria parasites cannot always be inferred from the overall adult abundance; the dynamics of these two groups can differ significantly.;In addition, mean temperature, a metric that is commonly used for malaria and mosquitoes, is, alone, not sufficient to understand the population in an area; the variation and the type of variation around those mean temperatures can significantly influence dynamics and therefore the potential for malaria transmission. The model also illustrates that predictions about the impact of climate change on mosquito populations and transmission potential is best done at a local scale, as the consequences of changes in temperature can differ starkly over small geographic distances.;Overall, the work presented in this dissertation shows the complexity and the importance of temperature to mosquito vector populations and provides a useful platform from which to answer further questions about temperature, mosquitoes and malaria. The model also demonstrates that understanding the dynamics of any vector population or any vector-borne disease requires a thorough understanding of the relevant insect ecology; the model, although developed for mosquitoes that vector the malaria parasite, can easily be adapted for use with other vectors. Additionally, the conclusions point to a need for greater understanding of the complex relationships between environmental conditions, vector populations and vector-borne diseases.
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