Orihuela-Torres Adrian, Pérez-García Juan Manuel, Sánchez-Zapata José Antonio, Botella Francisco, Sebastián-González Esther
Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH) Miguel Hernández University Orihuela Spain.
Department of Ecology Alicante University Alicante Spain.
Ecol Evol. 2022 Jul 31;12(8):e9133. doi: 10.1002/ece3.9133. eCollection 2022 Aug.
Invasive Alien Species (IAS) alter ecosystems, disrupting ecological processes and driving the loss of ecosystem services. The common carp is a hazardous and widespread IAS, becoming the most abundant species in many aquatic ecosystems. This species transforms ecosystems by accumulating biomass to the detriment of other species, thus altering food webs. However, some terrestrial species, such as vertebrate scavengers, may benefit from dead carps, by incorporating part of the carp biomass into the terrestrial environment. This study describes the terrestrial vertebrate scavenger assemblage that benefits from carp carcasses in a Mediterranean wetland. We also evaluate the seasonal differences in the scavenger assemblage composition and carrion consumption patterns. Eighty carp carcasses (20 per season) were placed in El Hondo Natural Park, a seminatural mesohaline wetland in south-eastern Spain, and we monitored their consumption using camera traps. We recorded 14 scavenger species (10 birds and four mammals) consuming carp carcasses, including globally threatened species. Vertebrates consumed 73% of the carrion biomass and appeared consuming at 82% of the carcasses. Of these carcasses consumed, 75% were completely consumed and the mean consumption time of carcasses completely consumed by vertebrates was 44.4 h (SD = 42.1 h). We recorded differences in species richness, abundance, and assemblage composition among seasons, but we did not find seasonal differences in consumption patterns throughout the year. Our study recorded a rich and efficient terrestrial vertebrate scavenger assemblage benefitting from carp carcasses. We detected a seasonal replacement on the scavenger species, but a maintenance of the ecological function of carrion removal, as the most efficient carrion consumers were present throughout the year. The results highlight the importance of vertebrate scavengers in wetlands, removing possible infectious focus, and moving nutrients between aquatic and terrestrial environments.
外来入侵物种（IAS）会改变生态系统，扰乱生态过程并导致生态系统服务功能丧失。鲤鱼是一种具有危害性且分布广泛的外来入侵物种，已成为许多水生生态系统中数量最多的物种。该物种通过积累生物量来改变生态系统，对其他物种造成损害，从而改变食物网。然而，一些陆生物种，如脊椎动物食腐动物，可能会受益于死鲤鱼，因为它们将部分鲤鱼生物量纳入陆地环境。本研究描述了在地中海湿地中受益于鲤鱼尸体的陆生脊椎动物食腐动物群落。我们还评估了食腐动物群落组成和腐肉消费模式的季节差异。80具鲤鱼尸体（每个季节20具）被放置在西班牙东南部的半自然中盐度湿地埃尔洪多自然公园，我们使用相机陷阱监测它们的消费情况。我们记录了14种食腐动物（10种鸟类和4种哺乳动物）食用鲤鱼尸体，其中包括全球受威胁物种。脊椎动物消耗了73%的腐肉生物量，出现啃食行为的尸体占82%。在这些被消耗的尸体中，75%被完全消耗，脊椎动物完全消耗尸体的平均消耗时间为44.4小时（标准差=42.1小时）。我们记录了不同季节间物种丰富度、丰度和群落组成的差异，但未发现全年消费模式的季节差异。我们的研究记录了一个丰富且高效的受益于鲤鱼尸体的陆生脊椎动物食腐动物群落。我们检测到食腐动物物种的季节性更替，但腐肉清除的生态功能得以维持，因为全年都有最高效的腐肉消费者。研究结果凸显了脊椎动物食腐动物在湿地中的重要性，它们消除了可能的传染源，并在水生和陆地环境之间转移养分。
