Presentation Details
Forests Fueled by Feces: Primate Dung as a Resource Pulse for Decomposer Communities

Dominee G.Cagle.

São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract


Primate dung represents a predictable pulse of organic resources in tropical forests, yet its role in structuring decomposer communities remains poorly understood. While primates are widely recognized as seed dispersers, their contributions to other ecological processes, such as decomposition, are rarely studied. This project investigates how primate dung supports communities of decomposer-associated fauna in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Using field experiments with fresh dung and carrion proxies, combined with continuous camera monitoring, I document interactions between decomposer communities and ephemeral resource patches. Data are being collected in sectors of the same protected area that differ in primate abundance, allowing comparison between primate-rich and defaunated landscapes. By examining how decomposer communities assemble on primate-derived resources, this research highlights an underappreciated pathway through which primates influence ecosystem functioning and biodiversity.

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