Vulture Recovery and Ecosystem Services from Community-Managed Feeding Stations in Nepal: A Case Study

Supplementary Feeding Stations for Vultures (SFSVs) play a pivotal role in avian scavenger conservation, especially vultures, and the maintenance of ecosystem services, particularly in regions experiencing vulture population declines. This study, conducted at an SFSV in Dang, Nepal, investigated scavenger community dynamics, carcass removal efficiency, and associated ecological impacts. A moderately diverse scavenger assemblage was recorded (Shannon Diversity Index H = 1.54), with obligate Gyps vultures comprising 66% of observations, highlighting effective targeted conservation and revealing potential trade-offs for facultative scavenger biodiversity. Carcass removal rates averaged 13.57 kg/hr, with pre-skinning accelerating removal by 5.7 times and increasing overall efficiency from 62.5% to 88.5%. This intervention reduced carcass persistence by 30–50%, generating substantial environmental benefits, including the prevention of an estimated 11.35 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent annually from a single feeding station in Nepal. Soil analyses demonstrated significant nitrogen and potassium enrichment at active feeding sites, while phosphorus levels decreased and acidity increased (pH 5.73), underscoring complex nutrient dynamics associated with carcass decomposition. Our findings strongly support the implementation of mandatory pre-skinning protocols and a 2 – 3-month site rotation cycle to optimize carcass processing, enhance public health safety, and restore soil biogeochemistry. This study confirms SFSVs as indispensable tools for vulture recovery while demonstrating their broader potential for sustainable waste management and climate change mitigation. Integrating these management strategies with community engagement provides a scalable blueprint for resilient scavenger-mediated nutrient cycling, efficient waste utilization, and the balancing of biodiversity conservation with critical ecosystem functions globally.