Negrophilous insects, a fascinating group comprising several orders and species, play an important role in maintaining and enhancing biodiversity in forest ecosystems.
Forest ecosystems are among the most diverse and ecologically vital habitats on Earth, and understanding the intricate relationships between the different organisms in these ecosystems is crucial for their conservation and sustainable management. While deadwood is considered a habitat and beneficial structural element for biodiversity, the importance of carrion for insect diversity is largely underestimated (KRÜGER & KRÜGER 2007 GU & KRAWCZYNSKI 2012).
In this study, the crucial role of carrion-inhabiting insects for the complexity of forest ecosystems is investigated. Using roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) carrion as an example, we investigate the associated necrophilous insect community and its entomological significance. The focus is on the recording of arthropod diversity with emphasis on coleopterans on carcasses of medium-sized mammals and their colonisation patterns to present a seasonal and habitat-typical overview of regional necrophilous biodiversity.
Thus, carrion acts as a hub for numerous trophic interactions that increase the complexity of forest ecosystems. Carcass ecology faces a variety of challenges. While deadwood is recognised as an important structural element and actively promoted by forestry and conservation, insufficient attention has been paid to the 'dead animal' in the landscape. In contrast to other biodiversity promotion measures, a social taboo weighs heavily on carcasses of larger animals. Yet it is necessary for stable decomposer populations to find sufficient carrion of medium to large vertebrates in the ecosystem.