Aaron Morris

Carrion, heterotrophically derived nonliving organic matter, is a patchy and ephemeral resource found across landscapes, which influences the structure and function of ecosystems. This impact of carrion on ecosystems has not been as widely researched as the impact on ecosystems of phototrophically derived nonliving organic matter. Broadly, my research will examine three areas related to the carrion resources of large mammal carcasses: 1) the influence of carrion resources on heterogeneity at and around carcass sites; 2) the dynamics of competitive relationships between consumers of carrion resources; and 3) the integration of carrion resources into ecosystems across spatial and temporal scales.