Trophic interactions at avian carcasses: Do scavengers feed on vulture carrion?
Abstract
Scavenging is a pervasive foraging strategy among vertebrates, yet researchers have only recently begun to reveal the complex implications of scavenging dynamics. Scavenging studies have predominantly used lower trophic level (i.e., herbivore) species as carrion bait, and the few studies that have used higher trophic level (i.e., carnivore) carrion have found these carcass types are generally avoided by vertebrates or scavenged by fewer species than similarly sized herbivore carcasses. No studies have assessed the fate of carcasses of obligate scavengers. To investigate potential differences in scavenging dynamics among avian carrion representing different guilds and trophic levels, we conducted scavenging trials using 20 replicates of two obligate scavenger species (i.e. black vulture, Coragyps atratus; turkey vulture, Cathartes aura) and two lower trophic level species, chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), and mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). Carcass trials were conducted at the Savannah River Site, SC, USA, and monitored with remote cameras. We hypothesized carcasses of vultures would persist longer and have a distinct scavenging community compared to lower trophic level carcasses (mallard and chicken). As expected, turkey and black vulture carcasses persisted in the environment longer, were less likely to be entirely consumed by vertebrate scavengers, and had a different scavenging community than mallardmore »
- Authors:
-
- Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1895036
- Grant/Contract Number:
- EM0005228; EM0004391
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Food Webs
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 31; Journal ID: ISSN 2352-2496
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; black vulture; cannibalism; carcass use; food web interaction; scavenging; turkey vulture
Citation Formats
Butler-Valverde, Miranda J., DeVault, Travis L., and Beasley, James C. Trophic interactions at avian carcasses: Do scavengers feed on vulture carrion?. United States: N. p., 2022.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00230.
Butler-Valverde, Miranda J., DeVault, Travis L., & Beasley, James C. Trophic interactions at avian carcasses: Do scavengers feed on vulture carrion?. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00230
Butler-Valverde, Miranda J., DeVault, Travis L., and Beasley, James C. Wed .
"Trophic interactions at avian carcasses: Do scavengers feed on vulture carrion?". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00230. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1895036.
@article{osti_1895036,
title = {Trophic interactions at avian carcasses: Do scavengers feed on vulture carrion?},
author = {Butler-Valverde, Miranda J. and DeVault, Travis L. and Beasley, James C.},
abstractNote = {Scavenging is a pervasive foraging strategy among vertebrates, yet researchers have only recently begun to reveal the complex implications of scavenging dynamics. Scavenging studies have predominantly used lower trophic level (i.e., herbivore) species as carrion bait, and the few studies that have used higher trophic level (i.e., carnivore) carrion have found these carcass types are generally avoided by vertebrates or scavenged by fewer species than similarly sized herbivore carcasses. No studies have assessed the fate of carcasses of obligate scavengers. To investigate potential differences in scavenging dynamics among avian carrion representing different guilds and trophic levels, we conducted scavenging trials using 20 replicates of two obligate scavenger species (i.e. black vulture, Coragyps atratus; turkey vulture, Cathartes aura) and two lower trophic level species, chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), and mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). Carcass trials were conducted at the Savannah River Site, SC, USA, and monitored with remote cameras. We hypothesized carcasses of vultures would persist longer and have a distinct scavenging community compared to lower trophic level carcasses (mallard and chicken). As expected, turkey and black vulture carcasses persisted in the environment longer, were less likely to be entirely consumed by vertebrate scavengers, and had a different scavenging community than mallard and chicken carcasses. Furthermore, these results contribute to the growing body of evidence suggesting higher trophic level carrion is exploited differently by vertebrate scavengers. Our findings suggest nutrients derived from vulture carcasses are likely largely reincorporated into lower trophic levels.},
doi = {10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00230},
journal = {Food Webs},
number = ,
volume = 31,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Mar 23 00:00:00 EDT 2022},
month = {Wed Mar 23 00:00:00 EDT 2022}
}
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