SCAVENGER · Determining the drivers and importance of scavenging behaviors in a changing world using agent based modeling approaches.

Determining the drivers and importance of scavenging behaviors in a changing world using agent based modeling approaches.

In the face of a rapidly changing world ecologists must understand the fundamental components of ecological systems. Unsurprisingly, much research has focused on the food web links of which ecosystems are constructed. However, despite this attention one particular type of food web link, scavenging, has been relatively ignored. This is despite estimates showing that scavenging accounts for more energy transfer through the food web compared to predation, demonstrating its crucial role in determining ecosystem dynamics. Yet scavenging is a still a poorly understood behavior as despite its prevalence across predators, little explanation is available for the enormous level of variation in the level of scavenging both across species and with them. This is important not only from the viewpoint of understanding how ecosystems may change in response to global change but also how species of conservation interest, particular large predators, may respond or adapt to changes in scavenging opportunities as a result to global change. The SCAVENGER project aimed to develop an agent based model which could be applied to such systems to not only understand the drivers of scavenging behaviour in general, but also to predict the possible results of changing habitats for species which either have previously relied on scavenging opportunities or which may benefit from them in the future. These species include those that hold conservation and social value, such as polar bears, tigers and sharks, and also keystone species, such as top predators, which in turn drive the many ecological communities on which society depends upon. Understanding changes in scavenging will also aid in predict potential human-wildlife conflict risks such as recent seen in polar bear scavenging behaviour in urban areas. The SCAVENGER project achieved its central goal of developing an agent-based model aimed at helping to understating the drivers of scavenging behaviour in general and also the role of scavenging in particular systems. The fellow will now build on the outputs of the MSCA SCAVENGER project by applying the agent based model to several specific systems of conservation and ecological interest.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union