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Dawson BM, Wallman JF, Evans MJ, Barton PS. Insect abundance patterns on vertebrate remains reveal carrion resource quality variation. Oecologia 2022; 198:1043-1056. [PMID: 35294646 PMCID: PMC9056491 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05145-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Resource quality is a key driver of species abundance and community structure. Carrion is unique among resources due to its high nutritional quality, rapidly changing nature, and the diverse community of organisms it supports. Yet the role resource quality plays in driving variation in abundance patterns of carrion-associated species remains poorly studied. Here we investigate how species abundances change with a measure of resource change, and interpret these findings to determine how species differ in their association with carrion that changes in quality over time. We conducted field succession experiments using pigs and humans over two winters and one summer. We quantified the effect of total body score, an objective measure of resource change, on adult insect abundance using generalised additive models. For each species, phases of increasing abundance likely indicated attraction to a high-quality resource, and length of abundance maxima indicated optimal oviposition and feeding time. Some species such as the beetle Necrobia rufipes had a rapid spike in abundance, suggesting a narrow window of opportunity for carrion resource exploitation, while species like the wasp Nasonia vitripennis had a gradual change in abundance, indicating a wide window of resource exploitation. Different abundance patterns were also observed between species occurring on pigs and humans, suggesting cadaver type is an important aspect of resource quality. Our findings show that species abundances, unlike species occurrences, can reveal additional detail about species exploitation of carrion and provide information about how resource quality may drive competition and variation in insect community succession.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake M Dawson
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
| | - James F Wallman
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Maldwyn J Evans
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,Department of Ecosystem Studies, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Philip S Barton
- Future Regions Research Centre, Federation University Australia, Mount Helen, VIC, Australia
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Dawson BM, Wallman JF, Evans MJ, Barton PS. Is Resource Change a Useful Predictor of Carrion Insect Succession on Pigs and Humans? J Med Entomol 2021; 58:2228-2235. [PMID: 33970275 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Carrion is a dynamic and nutrient-rich resource that attracts numerous insect species that undergo succession due to the rapid change in the carrion resource. Despite this process being well-understood, few studies have examined resource change as a driver of carrion insect succession, and instead have focused on the effects of time per se, or on coarse, qualitative measures such as decay stage. Here we report on three field succession experiments using pig carcasses and human cadavers encompassing two winters and one summer. We quantified the effects of resource change (measured as total body score, TBS), carrion type, initial carrion mass, ambient temperature, and season on insect species richness and community composition. We found that all variables had an effect on different taxonomic or trophic components of the insect community composition, with the exception of initial carrion mass which had no effect. We found significant positive effects of TBS on beetle species richness and composition, while fly species richness was not significantly affected by TBS, but was by ambient temperature. TBS had a significant positive effect on all trophic groups, while ambient temperature also had a significant positive effect on the necrophages and predator/parasitoids. Our study indicates that resource change, as indicated by TBS, is an important driver of carrion insect species turnover and succession on carrion, and that TBS can provide information about insect ecological patterns on carrion that other temporal measures of change cannot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake M Dawson
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - James F Wallman
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
- Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007,Australia
| | - Maldwyn J Evans
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia
- Department of Ecosystem Studies, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Philip S Barton
- School of Science, Psychology and Sport, Federation University Australia, Mount Helen, VIC 3350,Australia
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De Jong GD, Meyer F, Goddard J. Relative Roles of Blow Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Invasive Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Solenopsis spp.) in Carrion Decomposition. J Med Entomol 2021; 58:1074-1082. [PMID: 33629721 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fire ants (Solenopsis spp.) have increasingly been reported from carrion in the southeastern United States and are now a part of the normal succession community. There have been previous observations of these ants altering carrion and preying on other carrion-attendant fauna; however, the overall effects of these activities on carrion decomposition rates, community composition, and blow fly larval development are poorly understood. Alteration of these ecological processes by fire ants could affect the forensic interpretation of entomological data. We conducted a study in Mississippi and Florida whereby portions of the succession fauna were excluded from access to pig carrion to study the relative effects of fire ants and blow flies on carrion decomposition and succession: a control with all fauna having access, a second treatment where fire ants and other geophilic taxa were excluded, and a third treatment in which blow flies and other large organisms were excluded. Fire ants inflicted lesions in the carrion, buried portions that touched the ground, and preyed on some members of the succession fauna. Their exclusion did not affect carrion decomposition rates that were measured but slightly affected the overall carrion community, and strongly affected the oviposition and development of blow flies. Despite the presence of fire ants early in the control, blow flies were eventually able to overcome predation of eggs and larvae, continue colonization, and complete development; however, the delay in the colonization of blow flies on carrion could affect the determination of postmortem intervals when development rates of blow flies are considered in the calculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant D De Jong
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
- Department of Natural Sciences, Pensacola Christian College, Pensacola, FL, USA
| | - Florencia Meyer
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Jerome Goddard
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
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Woelber-Kastner BK, Frey SD, Howard DR, Hall CL. Insect reproductive behaviors are important mediators of carrion nutrient release into soil. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3616. [PMID: 33574411 PMCID: PMC7878738 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82988-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Current declines in terrestrial insect biomass and abundance have raised global concern for the fate of insects and the ecosystem services they provide. However, the ecological and economic contributions of many insects have yet to be quantified. Carrion-specializing invertebrates are important mediators of carrion decomposition; however, the role of their reproductive activities in facilitating this nutrient pulse into ecosystems is poorly understood. Here, we investigate whether insects that sequester carrion belowground for reproduction alter soil biotic and abiotic properties in North American temperate forests. We conducted a field experiment that measured soil conditions in control, surface carrion alone, and beetle-utilized carrion treatments. Our data demonstrate that Nicrophorus beetle reproduction and development results in changes in soil characteristics which are consistent with those observed in surface carrion decomposition alone. Carrion addition treatments increase soil labile C, DON and DOC, while soil pH and microbial C:N ratios decrease. This study demonstrates that the decomposition of carrion drives soil changes but suggests that the behaviors of insect scavengers play an important role in the release of carrion nutrients directly into the soil by sequestering carrion resources in the ecosystem where they were deposited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke K Woelber-Kastner
- College of Life Science and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, Spaulding Hall Rm G37; 38 Academic Way, Durham, NH, 03824, USA.
| | - Serita D Frey
- College of Life Science and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, Spaulding Hall Rm G37; 38 Academic Way, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
| | - Daniel R Howard
- College of Life Science and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, Spaulding Hall Rm G37; 38 Academic Way, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
| | - Carrie L Hall
- College of Life Science and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, Spaulding Hall Rm G37; 38 Academic Way, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
- , 2415 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA, 22314, USA
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Barton PS, Strong C, Evans MJ, Higgins A, Quaggiotto MM. Nutrient and moisture transfer to insect consumers and soil during vertebrate decomposition. Food Webs 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2018.e00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Benbow ME, Barton PS, Ulyshen MD, Beasley JC, DeVault TL, Strickland MS, Tomberlin JK, Jordan HR, Pechal JL. Necrobiome framework for bridging decomposition ecology of autotrophically and heterotrophically derived organic matter. ECOL MONOGR 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Eric Benbow
- Department of Entomology; Michigan State University; East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
- Department of Osteopathic Medical Specialties; Michigan State University; East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
- Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior Program; Michigan State University; East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
| | - Philip S. Barton
- Fenner School of Environment and Society; Australian National University; Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | | | - James C. Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; University of Georgia; Aiken South Carolina 29802 USA
| | - Travis L. DeVault
- U.S. Department of Agriculture; National Wildlife Research Center; Sandusky Ohio 44870 USA
| | | | | | - Heather R. Jordan
- Department of Biological Sciences; Mississippi State University; Mississippi Mississippi 39762 USA
| | - Jennifer L. Pechal
- Department of Entomology; Michigan State University; East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
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von Hoermann C, Jauch D, Kubotsch C, Reichel-Jung K, Steiger S, Ayasse M. Effects of abiotic environmental factors and land use on the diversity of carrion-visiting silphid beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae): A large scale carrion study. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196839. [PMID: 29847551 PMCID: PMC5976144 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic land use causes global declines in biodiversity. Despite the knowledge that animal carrion is the most nutrient-rich form of dead organic matter, studies on landscape and local scales determining whether and the means by which land use intensity influences the diversity of the carrion-associated insect fauna are globally scarce. We investigated the effects of land use intensity and abiotic and biotic environmental factors on the abundance, species richness, and diversity of the important ecosystem-service-providing silphid beetle taxon (carrion beetles) in three regions of Germany. In 61 forest stands distributed over three geographically distinct regions in Central Europe, we trapped silphid beetles on exposed piglet cadavers during late summer. In all three regions, higher ambient temperatures and higher fine sand contents were associated with the abundance of the silphid beetle taxa. The carrion community silphid diversity was negatively affected by an increase in mean ambient temperature in all three regions. Although management intensity in forests did not affect the overall abundance of Silphidae, the abundance of Nicrophorus humator decreased significantly with higher forest management intensity across all three regions. Unmanaged and age-class forests showed a higher abundance of N. humator compared with extensively managed forest stands. These findings indicate that N. humator has potential as an indicator species for anthropogenic disturbances in forests. Overall, the direct responses of the silphid beetle community to diverse soil characteristics underline soil as an important factor determining the abundance and diversity of necrophagous carrion beetles in Central Europe. To protect these valuable ecosystem-service providers, forest-management-induced soil modifications need to be paid close attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian von Hoermann
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Conservation and Research, Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Dennis Jauch
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Carolin Kubotsch
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Kirsten Reichel-Jung
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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