Decomposition metric calculations

The Köppen–Geiger climate classification system characterizes both the ARF and STAFS facilities as temperate without a dry season and hot summer (Cfa) and the FIRS facility as a cold semi-arid steppe (BSk)²³. Average daily temperatures were collected from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) website (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/) and monthly total precipitation accumulation over the course of the study was collected from the Weather Underground website (https://www.wunderground.com/) from local weather stations: Grand Junction Regional Airport Station, McGhee Tyson Airport Station and Easterwood Airport Station. Reference ²⁷ TBS quantifies the degree to which decomposition has occurred in three main areas (head, trunk and limbs)²⁷. The user assigned values to represent the progress of decomposition on the basis of visual assessment of the cadaver and added these values to generate a TBS at the time of sampling. A maximum score was assigned for each area when the cadaver has reached dry skeletal remains. ADD was estimated using the weather data provided by the NCEI. Degree day on the day of placement was not included, and a base temperature of 0 °C was used. ADD was calculated by adding together all average daily temperatures above 0 °C for all previous days of decomposition, as in ref. ²⁷, and subtracting the base temperature of 0 °C.