What Happens After an Elephant Dies? Scientists Returned to the Field and Were Astonished

A new study reveals that the carcass of a dead elephant affects the soil and vegetation for years: nitrogen concentrations up to 3,000 times higher harm plant diversity, but the nutrient-rich grasses attract herbivores, creating a self-sustaining feeding cycle.

A new study from South Africa examined what happens to the soil and vegetation around a dead elephant carcass, and found that the impact lasts for many years. The researchers, led by Dr. Courtney Reed, Prof. Daron Barkefail, and Isaac Smith, returned to sites where elephants had died in Kruger National Park, up to eight years after death. They found that nitrogen concentrations in the soil can be up to 3,000 times higher than normal, which impairs the ability of plants to regenerate and reduces species diversity. However, the grasses that do grow are rich in nitrogen and attract herbivores, creating a self-sustaining feeding cycle. The study was published in the journal PNAS and raises questions about similar effects in other ecosystems.