How Pastoral Are Pastoral Landscapes? Scavenger Assemblage Structure in Human-Dominated Landscapes: A Case Study From...

Pastoralism is one of the most common land uses worldwide and has been a fundamental part of Mediterranean ecosystems for thousands of years. We aimed to investigate how this land use influences carrion ecology and species interactions among mammalian facultative scavengers in East Mediterranean habitats. We carried out an in situ "cafeteria" field experiment, placing domesticated (Bos taurus) versus native (Sus scrofa) species' carrion in both pastoral and nonpastoral areas. We monitored scavenger activity using camera traps and analyzed changes in species interactions and carrion preferences between these two habitat types. The average camera encounter rate of the three most common scavenger species was significantly higher in nonpastoral areas than in pastoral ones. Our results also showed a notable preference for boar over cow carrion by foxes (Vulpes vulpes), while wild boars (Sus scrofa) and golden jackals (Canis aureus) exhibited no significant preferences. Using Piecewise Structural Equation Modeling (PSEM), we found no significant interactions among facultative scavengers in pastoral lands, whereas most scavenger species interactions in nonpastoral areas were significant and negative. Our findings indicate a significant, though variable, impact of pastoralism on facultative scavengers. From a conservation standpoint, these results highlight the challenge of maintaining an optimal structure for the mammalian scavenger guild in mixed landscapes.