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Orihuela-Torres A, Morales-Reyes Z, Hermoso V, Picazo F, Sánchez Fernández D, Pérez-García JM, Botella F, Sánchez-Zapata JA, Sebastián-González E. Carrion ecology in inland aquatic ecosystems: a systematic review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1425-1443. [PMID: 38509722 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Carrion ecology, i.e. the decomposition and recycling of dead animals, has traditionally been neglected as a key process in ecosystem functioning. Similarly, despite the large threats that inland aquatic ecosystems (hereafter, aquatic ecosystems) face, the scientific literature is still largely biased towards terrestrial ecosystems. However, there has been an increasing number of studies on carrion ecology in aquatic ecosystems in the last two decades, highlighting their key role in nutrient recirculation and disease control. Thus, a global assessment of the ecological role of scavengers and carrion in aquatic ecosystems is timely. Here, we systematically reviewed scientific articles on carrion ecology in aquatic ecosystems to describe current knowledge, identify research gaps, and promote future studies that will deepen our understanding in this field. We found 206 relevant studies, which were highly biased towards North America, especially in lotic ecosystems, covering short time periods, and overlooking seasonality, a crucial factor in scavenging dynamics. Despite the low number of studies on scavenger assemblages, we recorded 55 orders of invertebrates from 179 families, with Diptera and Coleoptera being the most frequent orders. For vertebrates, we recorded 114 species from 40 families, with birds and mammals being the most common. Our results emphasise the significance of scavengers in stabilising food webs and facilitating nutrient cycling within aquatic ecosystems. Studies were strongly biased towards the assessment of the ecosystem effects of carrion, particularly of salmon carcasses in North America. The second most common research topic was the foraging ecology of vertebrates, which was mostly evaluated through sporadic observations of carrion in the diet. Articles assessing scavenger assemblages were scarce, and only a limited number of these studies evaluated carrion consumption patterns, which serve as a proxy for the role of scavengers in the ecosystem. The ecological functions performed by carrion and scavengers in aquatic ecosystems were diverse. The main ecological functions were carrion as food source and the role of scavengers in nutrient cycling, which appeared in 52.4% (N = 108) and 46.1% (N = 95) of publications, respectively. Ecosystem threats associated with carrion ecology were also identified, the most common being water eutrophication and carrion as source of pathogens (2.4%; N = 5 each). Regarding the effects of carrion on ecosystems, we found studies spanning all ecosystem components (N = 85), from soil or the water column to terrestrial vertebrates, with a particular focus on aquatic invertebrates and fish. Most of these articles found positive effects of carrion on ecosystems (e.g. higher species richness, abundance or fitness; 84.7%; N = 72), while a minority found negative effects, changes in community composition, or even no effects. Enhancing our understanding of scavengers and carrion in aquatic ecosystems is crucial to assessing their current and future roles amidst global change, mainly for water-land nutrient transport, due to changes in the amount and speed of nutrient movement, and for disease control and impact mitigation, due to the predicted increase in occurrence and magnitude of mortality events in aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Orihuela-Torres
- Department of Ecology, University of Alicante, Ctra. San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, Alicante, 03690, Spain
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University, Carretera de Beniel km 3.2, Orihuela, 03312, Spain
| | - Zebensui Morales-Reyes
- Instituto de Estudios Sociales Avanzados (IESA), CSIC, Campo Santo de los Mártires, 7, Córdoba, 14004, Spain
| | - Virgilio Hermoso
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD) - CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, Sevilla, 41092, Spain
| | - Félix Picazo
- Department of Ecology/Research Unit Modeling Nature (MNat), University of Granada, Faculty of Sciences, Campus Fuentenueva s/n, Granada, 18071, Spain
- Water Institute (IdA), University of Granada, Ramón y Cajal 4, Granada, 18003, Spain
| | - David Sánchez Fernández
- Department of Ecology and Hidrology, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, 30100, Spain
| | - Juan M Pérez-García
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University, Carretera de Beniel km 3.2, Orihuela, 03312, Spain
| | - Francisco Botella
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University, Carretera de Beniel km 3.2, Orihuela, 03312, Spain
| | - José A Sánchez-Zapata
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University, Carretera de Beniel km 3.2, Orihuela, 03312, Spain
| | - Esther Sebastián-González
- Department of Ecology, University of Alicante, Ctra. San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, Alicante, 03690, Spain
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Campião KM, Rico JADL, de Souza Monteiro G, Ash LV, Teixeira CP, Gotelli NJ. High prevalence and concomitant infection of Ranavirus and Eustrongylides sp. in the invasive American Bullfrog in Brazil. Parasitol Int 2024; 100:102875. [PMID: 38417736 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2024.102875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
American Bullfrogs, Aquarana catesbeiana, are invasive anuran species distributed worldwide. One of the adverse impacts that this species causes in native communities is as a reservoir host for pathogens and parasites. Here, we report the coinfection of two pathogenic organisms in A. catesbeiana: Ranavirus and the nematode Eustrongylides. Bullfrogs were collected in the wild in a pond close to the urban area of São Paulo, Brazil. The prevalence of both pathogens was high: 77% were infected with ranavirus with a mean viral load of 1010.3 viral copies, and 100% of the bullfrogs were infected by Eustrongylides sp. with a mean intensity of infection of 13.4 specimens per host. Four host specimens (31%) presented pathological signs that seemed to be related to the Eustrongylides sp. infection, such as internal organs adhered to each other due to high intensity and large size of the nematodes, ulcers, and raw flesh wounds caused by the nematode. The pathogenic and concomitant infections have potential zoonotic implications and raise concerns about human infection risks for Eustrongylides infection. Moreover, such infections may represent an additional level of threat to native communities through the potential shifts in patterns of parasite and pathogen transmission. Future research involving the native anuran community is essential to ascertain whether invasive bullfrogs are attenuating or exacerbating diseases such as ranavirosis and eustrongylidiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Magalhães Campião
- Biological interactions Lab, Department of Zoology Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Lauren V Ash
- University of Vermont, Department of Biology, 109 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05403, USA
| | - Cauê Pinheiro Teixeira
- Biological interactions Lab, Department of Zoology Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Nicholas J Gotelli
- University of Vermont, Department of Biology, 109 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05403, USA
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Behavior of Wild Pigs toward Conspecific Carcasses: Implications for Disease Transmission in a Hot, Semiarid Climate. Transbound Emerg Dis 2023. [DOI: 10.1155/2023/4195199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a prolific, invasive species in the United States of America and act as vectors for many pathogens. An emerging pathogen of concern to the USA is African swine fever (ASF), a deadly viral disease affecting swine that is endemic to Africa and has spread to parts of Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. ASF affects both wild and domesticated pigs and can be transmitted via several avenues, including interactions between and consumption of dead pigs by their live conspecifics. As wild pigs are considered a serious threat in the transmission of ASF, understanding the behavior of wild pigs towards their dead conspecifics is imperative when considering the transmission of ASF and other diseases in the USA. We placed camera traps at a sample of wild pig carcasses dispatched during four aerial shooting events between November, 2020, and June, 2022, at East Foundation’s San Antonio Viejo Ranch, South Texas. We recorded visitation events to carcasses by live wild pigs and recorded their behavior. Furthermore, we assessed daily carcass decomposition rates by visiting carcass sites without cameras. We found no evidence of cannibalism and recorded live wild pig visitations to only 33% of carcasses before advanced stages of decomposition were reached. Carcass decomposition was rapid (2.5 to 3 days), regardless of season, and the time to the first visitation and investigation of carcasses by live conspecifics was quicker than has been recorded in Europe. We posit that active scavenger guilds at our study site, coupled with high temperatures, result in the rapid decomposition of wild pig carcasses, which reduces opportunities for live wild pigs to interact with them when compared to milder climates. We suggest additional research investigating the persistence of ASF in hot, arid climates and the interactions between live pigs and the skeletonized remains of conspecifics.
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Bagchi B, Seal S, Raina M, Basu DN, Khan I. Carcass Scavenging Relaxes Chemical-Driven Female Interference Competition in Flour Beetles. Am Nat 2022; 199:E1-E14. [DOI: 10.1086/717250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Szcodronski KE, Cross PC. Scavengers reduce potential brucellosis transmission risk in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul C. Cross
- Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Bozeman Montana 59715 USA
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Abstract
Many large predators are also facultative scavengers that may compete with and depredate other species at carcasses. Yet, the ecological impacts of facultative scavenging by large predators, or their "scavenging effects," still receive relatively little attention in comparison to their predation effects. To address this knowledge gap, we comprehensively examine the roles played by, and impacts of, facultative scavengers, with a focus on large canids: the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), dhole (Cuon alpinus), dingo (Canis dingo), Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), gray wolf (Canis lupus), maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), and red wolf (Canis rufus). Specifically, after defining facultative scavenging as use or usurpation of a carcass that a consumer has not killed, we (1) provide a conceptual overview of the community interactions around carcasses that can be initiated by facultative scavengers, (2) review the extent of scavenging by and the evidence for scavenging effects of large canids, (3) discuss external factors that may diminish or enhance the effects of large canids as scavengers, and (4) identify aspects of this phenomenon that require additional research attention as a guide for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environment and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Thomas M Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Hall EM, Brunner JL, Hutzenbiler B, Crespi EJ. Salinity stress increases the severity of ranavirus epidemics in amphibian populations. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200062. [PMID: 32370671 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The stress-induced susceptibility hypothesis, which predicts chronic stress weakens immune defences, was proposed to explain increasing infectious disease-related mass mortality and population declines. Previous work characterized wetland salinization as a chronic stressor to larval amphibian populations. Thus, we combined field observations with experimental exposures quantifying epidemiological parameters to test the role of salinity stress in the occurrence of ranavirus-associated mass mortality events. Despite ubiquitous pathogen presence (94%), populations exposed to salt runoff had slightly more frequent ranavirus related mass mortality events, more lethal infections, and 117-times greater pathogen environmental DNA. Experimental exposure to chronic elevated salinity (0.8-1.6 g l-1 Cl-) reduced tolerance to infection, causing greater mortality at lower doses. We found a strong negative relationship between splenocyte proliferation and corticosterone in ranavirus-infected larvae at a moderate elevation of salinity, supporting glucocorticoid-medicated immunosuppression, but not at high salinity. Salinity alone reduced proliferation further at similar corticosterone levels and infection intensities. Finally, larvae raised in elevated salinity had 10 times more intense infections and shed five times as much virus with similar viral decay rates, suggesting increased transmission. Our findings illustrate how a small change in habitat quality leads to more lethal infections and potentially greater transmission efficiency, increasing the severity of ranavirus epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Hall
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, PO Box 644236, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
| | - Jesse L Brunner
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, PO Box 644236, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
| | - Brandon Hutzenbiler
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, PO Box 644236, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
| | - Erica J Crespi
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, PO Box 644236, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
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Dobelmann J, Felden A, Lester PJ. Genetic Strain Diversity of Multi-Host RNA Viruses that Infect a Wide Range of Pollinators and Associates is Shaped by Geographic Origins. Viruses 2020; 12:E358. [PMID: 32213950 PMCID: PMC7150836 DOI: 10.3390/v12030358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging viruses have caused concerns about pollinator population declines, as multi-host RNA viruses may pose a health threat to pollinators and associated arthropods. In order to understand the ecology and impact these viruses have, we studied their host range and determined to what extent host and spatial variation affect strain diversity. Firstly, we used RT-PCR to screen pollinators and associates, including honey bees (Apis mellifera) and invasive Argentine ants (Linepithema humile), for virus presence and replication. We tested for the black queen cell virus (BQCV), deformed wing virus (DWV), and Kashmir bee virus (KBV) that were initially detected in bees, and the two recently discovered Linepithema humile bunya-like virus 1 (LhuBLV1) and Moku virus (MKV). DWV, KBV, and MKV were detected and replicated in a wide range of hosts and commonly co-infected hymenopterans. Secondly, we placed KBV and DWV in a global phylogeny with sequences from various countries and hosts to determine the association of geographic origin and host with shared ancestry. Both phylogenies showed strong geographic rather than host-specific clustering, suggesting frequent inter-species virus transmission. Transmission routes between hosts are largely unknown. Nonetheless, avoiding the introduction of non-native species and diseased pollinators appears important to limit spill overs and disease emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Dobelmann
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand; (A.F.); (P.J.L.)
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Gamble A, Bazire R, Delord K, Barbraud C, Jaeger A, Gantelet H, Thibault E, Lebarbenchon C, Lagadec E, Tortosa P, Weimerskirch H, Thiebot J, Garnier R, Tornos J, Boulinier T. Predator and scavenger movements among and within endangered seabird colonies: Opportunities for pathogen spread. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Gamble
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CEFE) UMR CNRS 5175University of MontpellierEPHEUniversity Paul Valéry Montpellier 3IRD Montpellier France
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Romain Bazire
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CEFE) UMR CNRS 5175University of MontpellierEPHEUniversity Paul Valéry Montpellier 3IRD Montpellier France
| | - Karine Delord
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) UMR CNRS 7372Université La Rochelle Villiers en Bois France
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) UMR CNRS 7372Université La Rochelle Villiers en Bois France
| | - Audrey Jaeger
- Université de la RéunionUMR Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT)CNRSGIP CYROI Saint Denis La Réunion France
- Université de la RéunionÉcologie Marine Tropicale des Océans Pacifique et Indien (ENTROPIE)UMR UR‐IRD‐CNRS Saint Denis La Réunion France
| | | | | | - Camille Lebarbenchon
- Université de la RéunionUMR Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT)CNRSGIP CYROI Saint Denis La Réunion France
| | - Erwan Lagadec
- Université de la RéunionUMR Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT)CNRSGIP CYROI Saint Denis La Réunion France
- Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Terres Australes Française La Réunion France
| | - Pablo Tortosa
- Université de la RéunionUMR Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT)CNRSGIP CYROI Saint Denis La Réunion France
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) UMR CNRS 7372Université La Rochelle Villiers en Bois France
| | - Jean‐Baptiste Thiebot
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) UMR CNRS 7372Université La Rochelle Villiers en Bois France
- Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Terres Australes Française La Réunion France
- National Institute of Polar Research Tachikawa Tokyo Japan
| | - Romain Garnier
- Department of Biology Georgetown University Washington D.C. USA
| | - Jérémy Tornos
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CEFE) UMR CNRS 5175University of MontpellierEPHEUniversity Paul Valéry Montpellier 3IRD Montpellier France
- Ceva Biovac Beaucouzé France
| | - Thierry Boulinier
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CEFE) UMR CNRS 5175University of MontpellierEPHEUniversity Paul Valéry Montpellier 3IRD Montpellier France
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