Decomposing cadavers have a strong impact on the soil environment and the biodiversity of soil organisms. However, exploring these patterns in different natural settings, and beyond the first few weeks post-mortem remains a research priority. The response of soil communities to decomposing cadavers could be used for estimating the post-mortem interval (PMI), for which current models are lacking beyond 4–6 weeks.
We conducted a 35-month field experiment using pig carcasses (Sus scrofa Linnaeus) in a deciduous forest in Switzerland to characterise the impact of decomposing cadavers on the diversity and community composition of soil micro-eukaryotes by high throughput sequencing of soil environmental DNA.
The diversity of soil microbial eukaryotes strongly declined under decomposing cadavers. Several taxa which were rare in control soils became more abundant in cadaver-impacted soils. The clear temporal succession and turnover in soil microbial eukaryote diversity and community structure underneath cadavers offers potential for inferring the PMI.
The diversity of soil micro-eukaryotes remains poorly documented, especially in under-studied habitats such as cadaver-impacted soils. Characterising this “rare biosphere” diversity will help better understand cadaver impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and is necessary to develop new PMI tools.
