“…Larger values of α represent MMEs that are easily detected by an observer, such as those involving large or abundant species in easily observed locations (e.g., charismatic megafauna in open fields or fishes near shore) whereas small values of α would correspond to MMEs of small, cryptic, or rare species in locations that are difficult to study (e.g., small shrews in dense forests or fossorial caecilians). Similarly, small, soft-bodied taxa that degrade quickly or that are rapidly scavenged or washed out of aquatic systems (e.g., Phelps et al, 2019) would have larger values of λ. While the probability of detecting animal carcasses, and thus MMEs, depends on myriad factors affecting carcass persistence and detectability (e.g., Korner-Nievergelt et al, 2015;Santos et al, 2016), exponential decay accounts for the general trend of declining detection probability as carcasses decay and are removed at a more or less constant rate (e.g., Regester and Whiles, 2006).…”