Dead animals in the Harz: Scientists reveal the secret of the carrion!

Dead animals in the Harz: Scientists reveal the secret of the carrion!

In the picturesque Harz, where hikers immerse themselves in nature in search of relaxation, an unusual and at the same time educational project has developed in recent years. As part of the nationwide “carrion project”, dead wild animals are deliberately placed in the Harz National Park in order to research the role of carrion in the ecosystem. National park scientist Andreas Marten is leading this exciting project, which has been running for over three years. Loud news38.de By the end of October 2023, 43 carcasses - mostly of deer, red deer and wild boars - had already been laid on the ground, most of them killed in traffic accidents.

The laid out carcasses are more than just a sad footnote; they are a life giver for many other animal species. While the decomposition process is in full swing, the sites are monitored with wildlife cameras. Over 250,000 photos and around 12,000 video recordings document how various animal species, including scavengers such as lynxes, foxes and wolves, react to the dead animals. This not only records the behavior of these animals, but also collects important information about the biodiversity in the Harz.

Important findings for nature conservation

The dead animals are crucial for the Harz ecosystem as they provide valuable nutrients and provide food for numerous animal and insect species. This shows how important it is to include supposedly “dead” elements of a landscape in nature conservation. Predators such as lynxes and wolves in particular play a central role, not only contributing to biodiversity as scavengers, but also helping to maintain ecological balance.

An important goal of this project is to derive recommendations for action on how to deal with dead animals in road traffic. Knowledge about nature cannot only be recognized at first glance: research is intended to develop better strategies for protecting people and wild animals on the road.

Missions and challenges

Another interesting detail of this project is that the carcasses are attached to a stake. This is done to prevent larger scavengers from carrying the animals away and to observe the exact decomposition processes. In summer, an additional procedure is added: insect traps and swabs of bacteria and fungi are placed at the display points in order to obtain a more comprehensive picture of the biological processes.

In times when the habitat of many animals is becoming increasingly restricted, the carrion project in the Harz National Park shows how important research and nature conservation are. It makes it clear that even the sad aspects of life - namely death - play a valuable role in the larger whole of nature. While the hikers enjoy the Harz in its full splendor, the scientists in the background are constantly working to expand our understanding of the complex relationships in nature. A successful example of science that reaches people directly and contributes to the appreciation of nature.