ABSTRACT
Carrion, in the broadest sense, is nonliving animal tissue. It is the product of the death of living animals and can be the result of many natural processes, such as disease, starvation, or old age. Many animals are depredated when alive, but unconsumed remains can also be considered carrion. Carrion decomposition involves many interactions between organisms and their environment. These interactions determine the way carrion-derived energy and nutrients are recycled through microbes, animals, and plants and this has implications for the structure and functioning of whole ecosystems. The purpose of this chapter is to give an overview of the broader ecological context of carrion and the way it can affect many different biotic components of ecosystems.
