Abstract
Megafauna shape ecosystems globally through trophic interactions, ecology of fear, and ecosystem engineering. Highly productive salt marshes at the interface of terrestrial and marine systems have the potential to support megafauna species, but a recent global meta-analysis of consumer-plant interactions in marshes found few studies investigated impacts of wild megafauna. We conducted a literature review to document the variety of megafauna in salt marshes and found that 34 species utilize salt marshes, including sharks, manatees, pinnipeds, crocodilians, sea otters, hippos, and large terrestrial animals, such as lions, bears and water buffalo. The use of salt marsh habitats by a variety of megafauna may have implications for both the conservation of these large consumers and for the resilience of coastal wetlands through stabilizing feedbacks on plant ecosystems. Future studies should quantify the occurrence and impacts of megafauna in salt marshes, and how their conservation can help restore these valuable ecosystems.
Highlights
Megafauna are animals >45 kg (100 lbs) and shape ecosystem structure and function throughout the world (Martin and Klein, 1989)
After the initial screening, which yielded 214 papers, we conducted a second round of screening and retained articles where one or more species of megafauna is documented in salt marshes
We conducted a final verification that the animals were classified as megafauna and that the animals were documented in salt marshes, rather than solely near salt marshes
Summary
Megafauna are animals >45 kg (100 lbs) and shape ecosystem structure and function throughout the world (Martin and Klein, 1989). Megafauna predators can control their prey, and in doing so, can generate cascading effects by indirectly facilitating plant communities. Elephants can generate animal-driven nutrient fluxes by translocating nutrients through their feces, and models predict this activity constitutes an important nutrient supply for plants in savannah ecosystems (Wolf et al, 2013). Rhinos consume such a large volume of grass that they alter the fire regime in savanna ecosystems by significantly lowering the amount of fuel available to burn in large patches (Waldram et al, 2008). The reemergence of sea otters on the west coast of the United States has revitalized seagrass habitats, as sea otter consumption of crabs facilitates sea slugs that protect seagrasses from algal overgrowth (Hughes et al, 2013)
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