Pantheraman
Well-Known Member
" Mountain lions or pumas leave behind the carcasses of their prey, which break down to enhance soil quality and support plant growth, attracting more prey to these nutrient-rich areas in a "garden to hunt" cycle.
- Scientists identified 65 puma kill sites by tracking GPS-collared pumas in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of the western United States and found that kills were limited to just 4% of the environment.
- The presence of prey carcasses altered both the total nitrogen and δ15N of soils and plants in the area, suggesting that plants were absorbing substantial amounts of nitrogen from the carcasses.
- The study supports the idea that large carnivores like pumas influence the way ecosystems work by spreading nutrients around and thus play key roles in keeping ecosystems healthy."