Does presence of top predator improve forest birds' survival and diversity? An ecological case study assessing umbrella conservational impact of tiger using carrion

Abstract

After hunting, predators tend to leave a large amount of carrion behind. It is widely reported that this resource is commonly used by various species in the ecosystem and is essential for the survival of scavengers, particularly in winter. Although recent studies are focused on mammals, little is known about how this works with facultative scavenger birds, which may lead to a serious underestimation of the key role that top predators such as the Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) play in ecosystems. Here, we conducted a field feeding experiment to quantitatively evaluate the effects of Amur tiger on avian scavengers by simulating their predation residue. The results show that the Corvidae is the main bird species that consumes carrion, while woodpeckers and some insectivorous songbirds also benefit from the remains that Amur tiger leaves behind. We assumed that in winter, if the daily energy demand for the six main scavenger birds completely relied on the predation residues of Amur tiger separately, the prey remains of one Amur tiger could feed about 28 crows, 49 Azure-winged magpies, 61 Eurasian jays, 235 Eurasian nuthatches, 96 Great spotted woodpeckers, or 385 Willow tits. It means that the prey remains of top predators like Amur tiger may be an extremely important resource to avian scavengers and carrion could be a potential ecological indicator of Amur tiger keystone effect. This study provides experimental evidence from the field for the first time, and reveals the ecological mechanism of the role of keystone species of the Amur tiger, i.e., how to indirectly protect other animal groups in the forest ecosystem that have important ecological value for the biodiversity and the health of local forest vegetation through the protection of the Amur tiger.