Global change influences scavenging and carrion decomposition

Bartel, Savannah L.; Stephenson, Torrey; Crowder, David W.; Jones, Menna E.; Storfer, Andrew; Strickland, Michael S.; Lynch, Laurel

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2023.09.008

Cited by 8 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…While warming and increased precipitation generally have a positive impact on aboveground NPP, these wet sites (i.e., MAP = 1400 mm) may be less sensitive to relatively small changes in future precipitation (Huxman et al., 2004). Because ecosystem processes are responsive to many drivers, our results highlight the importance of considering how multiple global change factors (e.g., biodiversity loss, biotic‐abiotic feedbacks, and climate change) scale up to impact future ecosystem function (Bartel et al., 2023; Estes et al., 2011; Ripple et al., 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Given their ecological and economic importance, there is strong motivation to understand the impacts of environmental change on eucalypt forests (Turnbull, 2000). The impacts of abiotic factors such as drought (Matusick et al., 2016), warming (Bowman et al., 2014; Wardlaw, 2022), and wildfire (Matthews et al., 2012; McColl‐Gausden et al., 2022) on eucalypt forest biogeochemical cycling have received notable attention, but the role of biotic factors (i.e., animal contributions) on ecosystem C dynamics are less understood ( but see Bartel et al., 2023; Benbow et al., 2015; Schmitz et al., 2018). Through ingestion and excretion, animals redistribute C and nutrients across the landscape, creating ephemeral patches of high‐quality resources that can be used for biomass production by plants and soil microbes (Bazely & Jefferies, 1985; Day & Detling, 1990; Frank et al., 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Do Tasmanian devil declines impact ecosystem function?

Stephenson,

Hudiburg,

Mathias

et al. 2024

Global Change Biology

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Tasmanian eucalypt forests are among the most carbon‐dense in the world, but projected climate change could destabilize this critical carbon sink. While the impact of abiotic factors on forest ecosystem carbon dynamics have received considerable attention, biotic factors such as the input of animal scat are less understood. Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii)—an osteophageous scavenger that can ingest and solubilize nutrients locked in bone material—may subsidize plant and microbial productivity by concentrating bioavailable nutrients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus) in scat latrines. However, dramatic declines in devil population densities, driven by the spread of a transmissible cancer, may have underappreciated consequences for soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and forest productivity by altering nutrient cycling. Here, we fuse experimental data and modeling to quantify and predict future changes to forest productivity and SOC under various climate and scat‐quality futures. We find that devil scat significantly increases concentrations of nitrogen, ammonium, phosphorus, and phosphate in the soil and shifts soil microbial communities toward those dominated by r‐selected (e.g., fast‐growing) phyla. Further, under expected increases in temperature and changes in precipitation, devil scat inputs are projected to increase above‐ and below‐ground net primary productivity and microbial biomass carbon through 2100. In contrast, when devil scat is replaced by lower‐quality scat (e.g., from non‐osteophageous scavengers and herbivores), forest carbon pools are likely to increase more slowly, or in some cases, decline. Together, our results suggest often overlooked biotic factors will interact with climate change to drive current and future carbon pool dynamics in Tasmanian forests.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Tasmanian devil declines impact ecosystem function?

Stephenson,

Hudiburg,

Mathias

et al. 2024

Global Change Biology

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The influence of vertebrate scavengers on leakage of nutrients from carcasses

Wenting,

Jansen,

Burggraeve

et al. 2024

Oecologia

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The decomposition of carcasses by scavengers and microbial decomposers is an important component of the biochemical cycle that can strongly alter the chemical composition of soils locally. Different scavenger guilds are assumed to have a different influence on the chemical elements that leak into the soil, although this assumption has not been empirically tested. Here, we experimentally determine how different guilds of vertebrate scavengers influence local nutrient dynamics. We performed a field experiment in which we systematically excluded different subsets of vertebrate scavengers from decomposing carcasses of fallow deer (Dama dama), and compared elemental concentrations in the soil beneath and in the vegetation next to the carcasses over time throughout the decomposition process. We used four exclusion treatments: excluding (1) no scavengers, thus allowing them all; (2) wild boar (Sus scrofa); (3) all mammals; and (4) all mammals and birds. We found that fluxes of several elements into the soil showed distinct peaks when all vertebrates were excluded. Especially, trace elements (Cu and Zn) seemed to be influenced by carcass decomposition. However, we found no differences in fluxes between partial exclusion treatments. Thus, vertebrate scavengers indeed reduce leakage of elements from carcasses into the soil, hence influencing local biochemical cycles, but did so independent of which vertebrate scavenger guild had access. Our results suggest that carcass-derived elements are dispersed over larger areas rather than locally leak into the soil when vertebrate scavengers dominate the decomposition process.

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Disentangling Ecosystem Necromass Dynamics for Biodiversity Conservation

Barton,

Schultz,

Butterworth

et al. 2024

Ecosystems

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Global environmental change has redistributed earth’s biomass and the inputs and dynamics of basal detrital resources in ecosystems, contributing to the decline of biodiversity. Yet efforts to manage detrital necromass for biodiversity conservation are often overlooked or consider only singular resource types for focal species groups. We argue there is a significant opportunity to broaden our perspective of the spatiotemporal complexity among multiple necromass types for innovative biodiversity conservation. Here, we introduce an ecosystem-scale perspective to disentangling the spatial and temporal characteristics of multiple and distinct forms of necromass and their associated biota. We show that terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems contain a diversity of necromass types, each with contrasting temporal frequencies and magnitudes, and spatial density and configurations. By conceptualising an ecosystem in this way, we demonstrate that specific necromass dynamics can be identified and targeted for management that benefits the unique spatiotemporal requirements of dependent decomposer organisms and their critical role in ecosystem biomass conversion and nutrient recycling. We encourage conservation practitioners to think about necromass quantity, timing of inputs, spatial dynamics, and to engage with researchers to deepen our knowledge of how necromass might be manipulated to exploit the distinct attributes of different necromass types to help meet biodiversity conservation goals.

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Global change influences scavenging and carrion decomposition

Cited by 8 publications

References 79 publications

Do Tasmanian devil declines impact ecosystem function?

Do Tasmanian devil declines impact ecosystem function?

The influence of vertebrate scavengers on leakage of nutrients from carcasses

Disentangling Ecosystem Necromass Dynamics for Biodiversity Conservation

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