Carrion Ecology and Management

Description

Carrion, or dead animal matter, is an inherent component of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide, and is exploited by a wide diversity of organisms from different trophic levels, including microbes, arthropods and vertebrates. Further, carrion consumption by scavengers, i.e. scavenging, supports key ecosystem functions and services such as recycling nutrients and energy, disposing of carcasses and regulating disease spread. Yet, unlike dead plant matter, dead animal decomposition has received little attention in the fields of ecology, wildlife conservation and environmental management, and as a result the management of carrion for maintaining biodiversity and functional ecosystems has been limited. This book addresses the main ecological patterns and processes relating to the generation and consumption of carrion both in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. It also discusses a number of conservation concerns and associated management issues, particularly regarding the increasing role of human-mediated carrion in ecosystems. Lastly, the book outlines future research lines in carrion ecology and management, and identifies the major challenges for scavengers and scavenging processes in the Anthropocene. Front Matter ....Pages i-xi Introduction to the Topic of Carrion Ecology and Management (Pedro P. Olea, Patricia Mateo-Tomás, José A. Sánchez-Zapata)....Pages 1-20 Front Matter ....Pages 21-21 Carrion Availability in Space and Time (Marcos Moleón, Nuria Selva, Maria Martina Quaggiotto, David M. Bailey, Ainara Cortés-Avizanda, Travis L. DeVault)....Pages 23-44 Invertebrate Scavenging Communities (Gail S. Anderson, Philip S. Barton, Melanie Archer, John R. Wallace)....Pages 45-69 Vertebrate Scavenging Communities (Nuria Selva, Marcos Moleón, Esther Sebastián-González, Travis L. DeVault, Maria Martina Quaggiotto, David M. Bailey et al.)....Pages 71-99 Carrion Decomposition (Philip S. Barton, Joseph K. Bump)....Pages 101-124 Ecological Functions of Vertebrate Scavenging (James C. Beasley, Zachary H. Olson, Nuria Selva, Travis L. DeVault)....Pages 125-157 Front Matter ....Pages 159-159 The Role of Scavenging in Disease Dynamics (Joaquín Vicente, Kurt VerCauteren)....Pages 161-182 Human-Mediated Carrion: Effects on Ecological Processes (Rubén Moreno-Opo, Antoni Margalida)....Pages 183-211 What Makes Carrion Unsafe for Scavengers? Considerations for Appropriate Regulatory Policies and Sound Management Practices (Darcy Ogada, Ngaio Richards, Shannon Behmke)....Pages 213-240 Front Matter ....Pages 241-241 Methods for Monitoring Carrion Decomposition in Aquatic Environments (Gail S. Anderson, John R. Wallace)....Pages 243-253 Studying Movement of Avian Scavengers to Understand Carrion Ecology (Olivier Duriez, Roi Harel, Ohad Hatzofe)....Pages 255-274 Synthesis and Future Perspectives on Carrion Ecology and Management (Pedro P. Olea, Patricia Mateo-Tomás, José A. Sánchez-Zapata)....Pages 275-281