Rewilding with large herbivores: Positive direct and delayed effects of carrion on plant and arthropod communities.

ABSTRACT: Carrion of large animals is an extremely nutrient rich, ephemeral resource that is essential for many species, but is scarce in the anthropogenic Western-European landscape due to legislative restrictions. Rewilding, a novel conservation strategy that aims at restoring natural processes with minimal human intervention, is increasing in popularity and could lead to increased carrion availability in the landscape. It is therefore important to understand the effects of carrion on biodiversity. We investigated the direct and delayed (five months) effects of red deer (Cervus elaphus) carcasses on plants and arthropods in the Oostvaardersplassen, the Netherlands, one of the oldest rewilding sites in Europe. Specifically, we tested whether carrion has a positive direct effect on the abundances an

SUBMITTER: van Klink R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6975527 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature