Use of charred vertebrate carcasses by carrion beetles: Implications of controlled burns and wildfires for the American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus

The frequency and intensity of fires, including controlled burns and
wildfires, in temperate environments will change future conservation
practices for endangered and threatened species. Populations of
the threatened American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier
remain concentrated in fire-prone grassland areas of Nebraska and mixed
grassland-forest habitats in Oklahoma. To better understand the
response of N. americanus to fire events, field surveys, and laboratory
tests were conducted to determine if Nicrophorus spp. would utilize
varying levels of charred rats (slight, moderate, or severe) compared to
unburned carcasses for food and reproductive purposes, and survival of
buried adult Nicrophorus spp. was measured when exposed to surface burning
on a fire table. Field surveys captured seven species of burying
beetles (Staphylinidae: Silphinae: Nicrophorini) and four species of
carrion beetles (Staphylinidae: Silphinae: Silphini) using burned carrion
at all levels with severity of burn score, month, and the interaction
effect predicting differences in beetle community
composition. Nicrophorus spp. were able to reproduce with
moderately and severely burned carcasses, but produced significantly fewer
offspring; when buried in soil, 96% of Nicrophorus spp. survived hot fires
burning on the surface. Data represent carrion beetle community response
to burned carcass across the season and data for reproduction using burned
carcasses by adult Nicrophorus orbicollis.