Network structure of vertebrate scavenger assemblages at the global scale: Drivers and ecosystem functioning implications

• Autores: Sebastián González, Esther; Morales Reyes, Zebensui; Botella, Francisco; Naves Alegre, Lara; Pérez García, Juan M.; Mateo Tomás, Patricia; Pérez Olea, Pedro; Moleón, Marcos; Barbosa, Jomar M.; Hiraldo, Fernando; Arrondo, Eneko; Donázar, José Antonio; Cortés Avizanda, Ainara; Selva, Nuria; Lambertucci, Sergio Agustin; Bhattacharjee, Aishwarya; Brewer, Alexis L.; Abernethy, Erin F.; Turner, Kelsey L.; Beasley, James C.; DeVault, Travis L.; Gerke, Hannah C.; Rhodes, Olin E.; Ordiz, Andrés; Wikenros, Camilla; Zimmermann, Barbara; Wabakken, Petter; Wilmers, Christopher C.; Smith, Justine A.; Kendall, Corinne J.
• Año de publicación: 2020
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: CARRION; CONSUMPTION RATE; ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS; GLOBAL CHANGE; MACROECOLOGY; NDVI
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

The organization of ecological assemblages has important implications for ecosystem functioning, but little is known about how scavenger communities organize at the global scale. Here, we test four hypotheses on the factors affecting the network structure of terrestrial vertebrate scavenger assemblages and its implications on ecosystem functioning. We expect scavenger assemblages to be more nested (i.e. structured): 1) in species-rich and productive regions, as nestedness has been linked to high competition for carrion resources, and 2) regions with low human impact, because the most efficient carrion consumers that promote nestedness are large vertebrate scavengers, which are especially sensitive to human persecution. 3) We also expect climatic conditions to affect assemblage structure, because some scavenger assemblages have been shown to be more nested in colder months. Finally, 4) we expect more organized assemblages to be more efficient in the consumption of the resource. We first analyzed the relationship between the nestedness of the scavenger assemblages and climatic variables (i.e. temperature, precipitation, temperature variability and precipitation variability), ecosystem productivity and biomass (i.e. NDVI) and degree of human impact (i.e. human footprint) using 53 study sites in 22 countries across five continents. Then, we related structure (i.e. nestedness) with its function (i.e. carrion consumption rate). We found a more nested structure for scavenger assemblages in regions with higher NDVI values and lower human footprint. Moreover, more organized assemblages were more efficient in the consumption of carrion. However, our results did not support the prediction that the structure of the scavenger assemblages is directly related to climate. Our findings suggest that the nested structure of vertebrate scavenger assemblages affects its functionality and is driven by anthropogenic disturbance and ecosystem productivity worldwide. Disarray of scavenger assemblage structure by anthropogenic disturbance may lead to decreases in functionality of the terrestrial ecosystems via loss of key species and trophic facilitation processes.
Fil: Sebastián González, Esther. Universidad de Miguel Hernández; España
Fil: Morales Reyes, Zebensui. Universidad de Miguel Hernández; España
Fil: Botella, Francisco. Universidad de Miguel Hernández; España
Fil: Naves Alegre, Lara. Universidad de Miguel Hernández; España
Fil: Pérez García, Juan M.. Universidad de Miguel Hernández; España. Universidad de Lleida; España
Fil: Mateo Tomás, Patricia. Universidad de Oviedo; España. Universidad de Coimbra; Portugal
Fil: Pérez Olea, Pedro. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; España
Fil: Moleón, Marcos. Universidad de Granada; España
Fil: Barbosa, Jomar M.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Biológica de Doñana; España
Fil: Hiraldo, Fernando. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Biológica de Doñana; España
Fil: Arrondo, Eneko. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Biológica de Doñana; España
Fil: Donázar, José Antonio. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Biológica de Doñana; España
Fil: Cortés Avizanda, Ainara. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Biológica de Doñana; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados; España
Fil: Selva, Nuria. Polish Academy of Sciences; Argentina
Fil: Lambertucci, Sergio Agustin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Laboratorio de Ecotono; Argentina
Fil: Bhattacharjee, Aishwarya. City University of New York; Estados Unidos
Fil: Brewer, Alexis L.. City University of New York; Estados Unidos
Fil: Abernethy, Erin F.. State University of Oregon; Estados Unidos
Fil: Turner, Kelsey L.. University of Georgia; Estados Unidos
Fil: Beasley, James C.. University of Georgia; Estados Unidos
Fil: DeVault, Travis L.. University of Georgia; Estados Unidos
Fil: Gerke, Hannah C.. University of Georgia; Estados Unidos
Fil: Rhodes, Olin E.. University of Georgia; Estados Unidos
Fil: Ordiz, Andrés. Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Noruega
Fil: Wikenros, Camilla. Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet; Suecia
Fil: Zimmermann, Barbara. Inland Norway University Of Applied Sciences; Noruega
Fil: Wabakken, Petter. Inland Norway University Of Applied Sciences; Noruega
Fil: Wilmers, Christopher C.. University of California; Estados Unidos
Fil: Smith, Justine A.. University of California at Davis; Estados Unidos
Fil: Kendall, Corinne J.. North Carolina Zoo; Estados Unidos