Ecological role of vertebrate scavengers in urban ecosystems in the UK.

ABSTRACT: Recent research has demonstrated how scavenging, the act of consuming dead animals, plays a key role in ecosystem structure, functioning, and stability. A growing number of studies suggest that vertebrate scavengers also provide key ecosystem services, the benefits humans gain from the natural world, particularly in the removal of carcasses from the environment. An increasing proportion of the human population is now residing in cities and towns, many of which, despite being highly altered environments, contain significant wildlife populations, and so animal carcasses. Indeed, non-predation fatalities may be higher within urban than natural environments. Despite this, the fate of carcasses in urban environments and the role vertebrate scavengers play in their removal have not been determin

SUBMITTER: Inger R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5513233 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature