Spatial Epidemiology & Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Sci Rep. 2021 Feb 19;11(1):4254. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-83426-3.
Scavenging of carrion shapes ecological landscapes by influencing scavenger population demography, increasing inter- and intra-specific interactions, and generating ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and disease moderation. Previous research found the cues promoting, or the constraints limiting, an individual's propensity or ability to scavenge vary widely, depending on anthropogenic and environmental factors. Here we investigated differences in scavenging patterns in a complex scavenger guild in Southwestern Montana. We used camera traps established at 13 carcass sites to monitor carcass detection, visitation, and consumption times, during 2016-2018 and generalized linear models to explore the influence of carcass characteristics, habitat features, and seasonality, on carcass selection and scavenging efficiency. We found that scavenger species diversity was higher at higher elevations and in grassland habitats. Scavenging efficiency was influenced inter alia by seasonality, distance to water, and elevation. We found that most carcass consumption was via facultative scavengers (bears, wolves, magpies, Corvus spp.) rather than turkey vultures, the only obligate scavengers in the study area. However, growing populations of turkey vultures may lead to increased competition with facultative scavengers over carrion, and could have cascading effects on food webs in this ecosystem.
腐肉的清理塑造了生态景观，影响着食腐动物的种群动态，增加了种间和种内的相互作用，并产生了养分循环和疾病调节等生态系统服务。先前的研究发现，个体倾向或能力的促进因素或限制因素因人为和环境因素而有很大差异。在这里，我们调查了在蒙大拿州西南部的一个复杂食腐动物群体中，清理模式的差异。我们使用 2016 年至 2018 年在 13 个尸体地点设置的相机陷阱，监测尸体的检测、访问和消耗时间，并使用广义线性模型来探索尸体特征、栖息地特征和季节性对尸体选择和清理效率的影响。我们发现，食腐动物物种多样性在高海拔和草原栖息地更高。食腐效率受到季节性、与水的距离和海拔等因素的影响。我们发现，大多数尸体的消耗是通过兼性食腐动物（熊、狼、喜鹊、鸦科），而不是秃鹫，秃鹫是研究区域中唯一的专职食腐动物。然而，秃鹫数量的增加可能导致其与兼性食腐动物在腐肉上的竞争加剧，并对该生态系统中的食物网产生级联效应。
