Diverse Effects of Climate, Land Use, and Insects on Dung and Carrion Decomposition

• DOI: 10.1007/s10021-022-00764-7
• Publication Date: 2022-04-26T16:05:26Z
• Authors: Jana Englmeier; Oliver Mitesser; M. Eric Benbow; Torsten Hothorn; Christian von Hoe...; Caryl Benjamin; Ute Fricke; Cristina Ganuza; Maria Haensel; Sarah Redlich; Rebekka Riebl; Sandra Rojas Botero; Thomas Rummler; Ingolf Steffan-De...; Elisa Stengel; Cynthia Tobisch; Johannes Uhler; Lars Uphus; Jie Zhang; Jörg Müller
• Keywords: Carrion; Arable land

Abstract Land-use intensification and climate change threaten ecosystem functions. A fundamental, yet often overlooked, function is decomposition of necromass. The direct indirect anthropogenic effects on decomposition, however, are poorly understood. We measured two contrasting types necromass, rat carrion bison dung, 179 study sites in Central Europe across an elevational gradient 168–1122 m a.s.l. within both local regional land uses. Local land-use included forest, grassland, arable fields, settlements were embedded three (near-natural, agricultural, urban). insects quantified by experimental exclusion, while controlling for removal vertebrates. used generalized additive mixed models to evaluate dung weight loss decay rate along elevation types. observed a unimodal relationship with elevation, where greatest occurred between 600 700 m, but no temperature, use, or insects. In contrast was continuously faster increasing temperature. Carrion reached the final stage six days earlier when insect access allowed, this did not depend effect. Our experiment identified different major drivers each necromass form. results show that rather robust future decline could alter processes self-regulation ecosystems.