Scavenging with invasive species
ABSTRACT Carrion acts as a hotspot of animal activity within many ecosystems globally, attracting scavengers that rely on this food source. However, many scavengers are invasive species whose impacts on scavenging food webs and ecosystem processes linked to decomposition are poorly understood. Here,...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/brv.13035 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/brv.13035 |
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crwiley:10.1111/brv.13035 2024-06-02T08:13:44+00:00 Scavenging with invasive species Newsome, Thomas Cairncross, Rhys Cunningham, Calum X. Spencer, Emma E. Barton, Philip S. Ripple, William J. Wirsing, Aaron J. 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/brv.13035 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/brv.13035 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Biological Reviews volume 99, issue 2, page 562-581 ISSN 1464-7931 1469-185X journal-article 2023 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.13035 2024-05-03T11:04:34Z ABSTRACT Carrion acts as a hotspot of animal activity within many ecosystems globally, attracting scavengers that rely on this food source. However, many scavengers are invasive species whose impacts on scavenging food webs and ecosystem processes linked to decomposition are poorly understood. Here, we use Australia as a case study to review the extent of scavenging by invasive species that have colonised the continent since European settlement, identify the factors that influence their use of carcasses, and highlight the lesser‐known ecological effects of invasive scavengers. From 44 published studies we identified six invasive species from 48 vertebrates and four main groups of arthropods (beetles, flies, ants and wasps) that scavenge. Invasive red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ), domestic dogs ( Canis familiaris ), feral pigs ( Sus scrofa ), black rats ( Rattus rattus ) and feral cats ( Felis catus ) were ranked as highly common vertebrate scavengers. Invasive European wasps ( Vespula germanica ) are also common scavengers where they occur. We found that the diversity of native vertebrate scavengers is lower when the proportion of invasive scavengers is higher. We highlight that the presence of large (apex) native vertebrate scavengers can decrease rates of scavenging by invasive species, but that invasive scavengers can monopolise carcass resources, outcompete native scavengers, predate other species around carcass resources and even facilitate invasion meltdowns that affect other species and ecological processes including altered decomposition rates and nutrient cycling. Such effects are likely to be widespread where invasive scavengers occur and suggest a need to determine whether excessive or readily available carcass loads are facilitating or exacerbating the impacts of invasive species on ecosystems globally. Article in Journal/Newspaper Rattus rattus Wiley Online Library Biological Reviews 99 2 562 581 |
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ABSTRACT Carrion acts as a hotspot of animal activity within many ecosystems globally, attracting scavengers that rely on this food source. However, many scavengers are invasive species whose impacts on scavenging food webs and ecosystem processes linked to decomposition are poorly understood. Here, we use Australia as a case study to review the extent of scavenging by invasive species that have colonised the continent since European settlement, identify the factors that influence their use of carcasses, and highlight the lesser‐known ecological effects of invasive scavengers. From 44 published studies we identified six invasive species from 48 vertebrates and four main groups of arthropods (beetles, flies, ants and wasps) that scavenge. Invasive red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ), domestic dogs ( Canis familiaris ), feral pigs ( Sus scrofa ), black rats ( Rattus rattus ) and feral cats ( Felis catus ) were ranked as highly common vertebrate scavengers. Invasive European wasps ( Vespula germanica ) are also common scavengers where they occur. We found that the diversity of native vertebrate scavengers is lower when the proportion of invasive scavengers is higher. We highlight that the presence of large (apex) native vertebrate scavengers can decrease rates of scavenging by invasive species, but that invasive scavengers can monopolise carcass resources, outcompete native scavengers, predate other species around carcass resources and even facilitate invasion meltdowns that affect other species and ecological processes including altered decomposition rates and nutrient cycling. Such effects are likely to be widespread where invasive scavengers occur and suggest a need to determine whether excessive or readily available carcass loads are facilitating or exacerbating the impacts of invasive species on ecosystems globally. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Newsome, Thomas Cairncross, Rhys Cunningham, Calum X. Spencer, Emma E. Barton, Philip S. Ripple, William J. Wirsing, Aaron J. |
spellingShingle |
Newsome, Thomas Cairncross, Rhys Cunningham, Calum X. Spencer, Emma E. Barton, Philip S. Ripple, William J. Wirsing, Aaron J. Scavenging with invasive species |
author_facet |
Newsome, Thomas Cairncross, Rhys Cunningham, Calum X. Spencer, Emma E. Barton, Philip S. Ripple, William J. Wirsing, Aaron J. |
author_sort |
Newsome, Thomas |
title |
Scavenging with invasive species |
title_short |
Scavenging with invasive species |
title_full |
Scavenging with invasive species |
title_fullStr |
Scavenging with invasive species |
title_full_unstemmed |
Scavenging with invasive species |
title_sort |
scavenging with invasive species |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/brv.13035 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/brv.13035 |
genre |
Rattus rattus |
genre_facet |
Rattus rattus |
op_source |
Biological Reviews volume 99, issue 2, page 562-581 ISSN 1464-7931 1469-185X |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.13035 |
container_title |
Biological Reviews |
container_volume |
99 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
562 |
op_container_end_page |
581 |
_version_ |
1800737329847992320 |