A review on the role of scavengers in ecosystems: challenges, conservation and management strategies
Résumé
Abstract Global ecosystems are rapidly being altered as a result of human activity and climate change. Scavengers, through consumption of dead organic material (carrion), are ubiquitous agents of ecological balance regulation through cycling of nutrients, environmental quality maintenance, and pathogen suppression. They accelerate decomposition and return nutrients to plants and microbes. In contrast to filter-feeding bivalves or microbial decomposers, which process nutrients slowly or at a microscopic scale, scavengers quickly remove macro-organic matter, preventing the prolonged accumulation of biomass that is frequently associated with ecological decay. Scavengers are given negligible space in conservation management and planning that might help result in ecological imbalance. Pollution, habitat destruction, and sampling bias toward loss of population present great hazards for scavenging populations. This review evaluates the ecological roles of scavengers across terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems, threats they face, and management and conservation strategies. Integrated management strategies, including habitat restoration, community engagement, and policy reform, are emphasized. This paper fills a critical gap by synthesizing the mechanistic importance of scavenging across multiple biome boundaries, providing novel, cross-habitat management frameworks. Scavenger identification as part of healthy ecosystem maintenance is critical to sustaining global biodiversity and its ecological roles.
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