What environmental changes can significantly affect mosquito populations?

Changes in rainfall patterns can significantly affect mosquito populations because they directly influence breeding habitats. Mosquitoes require standing water to reproduce, so increased rainfall can create more puddles, ponds, and wetlands, providing ideal conditions for mosquito larvae to thrive. Conversely, decreased rainfall can dry up these breeding sites, leading to a reduction in mosquito populations.

In addition, rainfall patterns also affect the availability of food sources for adult mosquitoes, as the plants and vegetation they depend on may be impacted by water availability. This interconnected relationship means that shifts in rainfall patterns can have a profound and immediate impact on mosquito life cycles and overall population dynamics.

The other options, while relevant to environmental changes, do not directly create the same immediate effect on breeding environments as rainfall does. Changes in wind speed can influence mosquito flight and dispersal but do not create or eliminate habitat for breeding. Changes in human activity can affect mosquito populations indirectly, often related to urban development and water management. Changes in daylight hours can influence mosquito behavior, such as feeding times, but are not a primary factor affecting where they breed.