Vegetation Diversity and Habitat Characteristics of Oncomelania hupensis lindoensis in the Napu Valley

Description

This book examines schistosomiasis as an environment-based disease by focusing on the role of vegetation in shaping the habitat of Oncomelania hupensis lindoensis, the intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum, in the Napu Valley, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Rather than viewing schistosomiasis solely as a biomedical problem, the book adopts an ecological and landscape-based perspective, emphasizing how vegetation diversity, agricultural land use, and microenvironmental conditions influence snail survival, distribution, and human exposure risk. Drawing on field observations, ecological analysis, and relevant literature, the book explores the interaction between vegetation structure, moisture, organic matter, and farming activities in rice fields, plantations, wetlands, and irrigation systems. It highlights vegetation as a key ecological mediator linking snail habitats and human behavior. The book also discusses the limitations of chemical and sectoral control approaches and proposes vegetation-based habitat management integrated with public health, agriculture, and conservation within a One Health framework.