Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
Published on: March 12, 2013
Wolves modulate soil nutrient heterogeneity and foliar nitrogen by configuring the distribution of ungulate carcasses
Joseph K Bump1, Rolf O Peterson, John A Vucetich
1School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, 1400 Townsend Drive, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, USA. jkbump@mtu.edu
Abstract:
Mechanistic links between top terrestrial predators and biogeochemical processes remain poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that large carnivores configure landscape heterogeneity through prey carcass distribution. A 50-year record composed of > 3600 moose carcasses from Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, USA, showed that wolves modulate heterogeneity in soil nutrients, soil microbes, and plant quality by clustering prey carcasses over space. Despite being well utilized by predators, moose carcasses resulted in elevated soil macronutrients and microbial biomass, shifts in soil microbial composition, and elevated leaf nitrogen for at least 2-3 years at kill sites. Wolf-killed moose were deposited in some regions of the study landscape at up to 12x the rate of deposition in other regions. Carcass density also varied temporally, changing as much as 19-fold in some locations during the 50-year study period. This variation arises, in part, directly from variation in wolf hunting behavior. This study identifies a top terrestrial predator as a mechanism generating landscape heterogeneity, demonstrating reciprocal links between large carnivore behavior and ecosystem function.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this nitrogen...
Key Elements for Plant Nutrition
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition
Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation
The Nitrogen Cycle
Threats to Biodiversity

