Articles | Volume 22, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1583-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1583-2025
Research article
 | 
25 Mar 2025
Research article |  | 25 Mar 2025

Elephant megacarcasses increase local nutrient pools in African savanna soils and plants

Courtney G. Reed, Michelle L. Budny, Johan T. du Toit, Ryan Helcoski, Joshua P. Schimel, Izak P. J. Smit, Tercia Strydom, Aimee Tallian, Dave I. Thompson, Helga van Coller, Nathan P. Lemoine, and Deron E. Burkepile

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Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1514', Shawn J. Leroux, 17 Jun 2024
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Courtney Reed, 21 Jun 2024
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC1', Courtney Reed, 04 Sep 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1514', Sarah Keenan, 27 Jun 2024
    • AC3: 'Reply on RC2', Courtney Reed, 04 Sep 2024
  • RC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1514', Anonymous Referee #3, 05 Jul 2024
    • AC4: 'Reply on RC3', Courtney Reed, 04 Sep 2024

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (22 Sep 2024) by Erika Buscardo
AR by Courtney Reed on behalf of the Authors (25 Oct 2024)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (25 Oct 2024) by Erika Buscardo
RR by Anonymous Referee #3 (27 Oct 2024)
RR by Shawn J. Leroux (04 Nov 2024)
RR by Sarah Keenan (21 Nov 2024)
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (26 Nov 2024) by Erika Buscardo
AR by Courtney Reed on behalf of the Authors (17 Dec 2024)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (18 Dec 2024) by Erika Buscardo
ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (12 Jan 2025) by Erika Buscardo
AR by Courtney Reed on behalf of the Authors (17 Jan 2025)  Manuscript 
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Short summary
We seek to understand the ecological legacies of elephants after death. We sampled soil and leaves at elephant carcass sites in South Africa and found that elephant carcasses release nutrients into soil, which plants take up and make available for consumption by herbivores. This research reveals a key way that elephants contribute to nutrient cycling in savannas after death. It also highlights an important process that may be lost in areas where elephant populations are in decline.
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