Carrion Availability in Space and Time, in: Carrion Ecology and Management

Abstract

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. . Chapter 1 Introduction to the Topic of Carrion Ecology and Management. -Part 1 Carrion ecology:Description of the Main Ecological Patterns and Processes Occurring around a Carrion -- Chapter 2 Carrion Availability in Space and Time -- Chapter 3 Invertebrate scavenging communities.-Chapter 4 Vertebrate Scavenging Communities.-Chapter 5 Carrion Decomposition -- Chapter 6 Ecological Functions of Vertebrate Scavenging -- Part 2 Human and Carrion: The Impact of Humans on Carrion Ecology and Management -- Chapter 7 Scavenging and Disease Dynamics -- Chapter 8 Human-Mediated Carrion: Effects on Ecological Processes -- Chapter 9 What Makes Carrion Unsafe for Scavengers? Considerations for Appropriate Regulatory Policies and Sound Management Practices -- Part 3 Methodological Approaches: Description of some Methods Used to Study Carrion Ecology.-Chapter 10 Methods for Monitoring Carrion Decomposition in Aquatic Environs -- Chapter 11 Studying Movement of Avian Scavengers to Understand Carrion Ecology -- Chapter 12 Synthesis.