Carcasses for Nature: An investigation into the consequences of the provisioning of deer carcasses on the biodiversity of a temperate woodland ecosystem in the UK

Large carcasses serve as a key resource for a variety of species within most terrestrial ecosystems, with broader ecosystem benefits by promoting nutrient cycling and wider biodiversity. In recent decades, humans have greatly impacted the availability of large carcasses, both directly and indirectly, with dire consequences for the diversity and functioning of ecosystems. Therefore, this has promoted interest in the provisioning of large carcasses to ecosystems where they are less abundant. In the UK in particular, the combination of a complete absence of apex predators and the management of deer populations have resulted in a reduction of large carcasses.

Therefore, in the present study, the consequences of the carcasses of two native deer species on the biodiversity of a temperate forest ecosystem in the North York Moors were investigated. Specifically, the impacts of carcasses, and equivalent control sites, on the diversity and composition of four broad groups were examined, with these consisting of vertebrates, invertebrates, plants and soil fungi.

The summary of findings included the activity of vertebrates shown to be higher at carcass sites compared to controls, plus vertebrate composition varied significantly between site types. Moreover, the species richness and diversity of invertebrates differed significantly between carcass and control sites. In contrast, no evidence was found for any effect of carcasses on the diversity and composition of plants or soil fungi.

Future research into carcass provisioning in the UK should focus on different types of ecosystems and other geographical regions, as well as replicating the unpredictable spatiotemporal distribution of carcasses produced by natural predation. Studies should also aim to examine for any long-term impacts of carcasses on plants and soil fungi that were not revealed in the current study. Furthermore, potential impacts of domestic dogs on carcass consumption, proximity to human-activity and risks of mesoscavenger dominance should be considered.