Sierra Espuña carcass soil Data 2020

Animal-derived organic matter provides a localized nutrient supply to soils, contributing to maintaining soil functions and biogeochemical cycles. Among mammals, carnivore carcasses tend to persist longer than those of herbivores due to lower consumption rates from vertebrate scavengers at carnivore sites. This, combined with the different composition and size of carnivore and herbivore carcasses, could modify the effects of this organic matter input on soil dynamics. We examined changes in soil properties driven by carnivore and herbivore carcasses and assessed the modulating effect of scavenging patterns and carrion features. We deployed 20 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and 19 aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) carcasses in a Mediterranean mountain and monitored their consumption with camera-traps. Twelve physical, chemical and biochemical soil properties were analyzed from soil samples collected before and five months after carcass placement. The resulting values are reported in the document.