PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Ecol. Evol.
Sec. Population, Community, and Ecosystem Dynamics
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fevo.2025.1611982
Integration of specific metrics can promote the understanding of scavenging dynamics
Provisionally accepted
- 1Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Japan
- 2Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS), Champaign, Illinois, United States
- 3University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States
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Vertebrate scavenging contributes to key ecosystem functions through the cycling of nutrients from carrion. However, the dynamics of scavenging are complex with many unknowns, necessitating the use of multiple metrics to measure the dynamics within vertebrate scavenger assemblages and the impact of scavenging on ecological systems. We propose a conceptual model representing a series of the scavenging processes that are critical to ecosystem functioning. The model includes 13 key metrics based on 4 primary questions to consider in studies of vertebrate scavenging to explain how scavenging dynamics are related to ecosystem functions. Our model enhances understanding of how scavenging dynamics impact ecosystem functions at different spatial and temporal scales and offers a framework for future studies to refine our understanding of scavenging across different ecosystems.
Keywords: Carrion, carcass, ecosystem function, indicator, vertebrate scavenger
Received: 15 Apr 2025; Accepted: 05 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Inagaki, Allen and Koike. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Akino Inagaki, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Japan
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