Experimental manipulation of scavenger and herbivore functional role and their effects on plant communities following mass mortality events

We designed an experiment to measure the relative importance of bottom-up
forces (nutrient addition) and top-down forces (impairment of obligate
scavenger and herbivore functional roles) generated by experimental
carrion deployment to simulate mass mortality events on the local plant
community. In our experimental plots, we measured changes in plant
functional groups before and for three years after experimental carrion
deployment. Additionally, we monitored cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda)
seedlings' growth and survival three years after being transplanted
in the experimental plots.