Species roles and key interactions in vertebrate scavenger communities

Abstract

In scavenging assemblages, the functional traits of scavengers that impact the structure and function of ecological communities are becoming clearer. However, there are multiple terms for influential scavenger species that lack established definitions. As such, we propose a standardized terminology encompassing five functional roles: frequent scavenger, main biomass consumer, and keystone scavenger, as well as apex scavenger and mesoscavenger (defined through ecological roles and hierarchical positions). Furthermore, we identify and describe five key behaviors, and its actors related to competitive and facilitative interactions among scavengers - signaling scavenger, carrion broker, dominant scavenger, carcass cacher, and carrion transporter - which drive species' roles. We unify concepts of scavenger roles to facilitate comparisons among studies on scavenging.

Keywords: carrion; consumption; decomposition; scavenging; species interactions.