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Published on: January 19, 2020
Scavenging: how carnivores and carrion structure communities
Erin E Wilson1, Elizabeth M Wolkovich
1Division of Biological Sciences, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0116, La Jolla, CA 92093-0116, USA. eewils@gmail.com
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|February 8, 2011
Summary
Scavenging, or eating carrion, is an underestimated food web interaction. This vital detrital feeding strategy significantly impacts food web structure and stability, requiring greater research attention.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Food Web Dynamics
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Food web research often overlooks detritus and indirect interactions.
- Predation is typically viewed as the sole carnivore-prey interaction.
- Carrion consumption (scavenging) is a widespread, facultative feeding strategy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the underappreciated role of scavenging in food web ecology.
- To demonstrate how current research underestimates scavenging's impact.
- To advocate for the inclusion of scavenging in future food web studies.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing food web literature.
- Analysis of the energetic transfer via scavenging versus predation.
- Phylogenetic and ecological assessment of scavenging prevalence.
Main Results:
- Scavenging is estimated to be underestimated by 16-fold in current food web research.
- Scavenging leads to inflated predation rates and underestimated indirect effects.
- Energy transfer per link is generally greater in scavenging than in predation.
Conclusions:
- Scavenging is a crucial, yet underestimated, component of food web structure and stability.
- Future food web research must incorporate scavenging to accurately model ecosystem dynamics.
- Global changes necessitate a better understanding of scavenger roles in ecosystems.
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