There has been considerable research on the effects of living elephants on African ecosystem structure, function, and processes. Yet few studies have investigated the effects of elephant megacarcasses on the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of terrestrial ecosystems. Similar to the megacarcasses of whales that create communities of productivity, and functioning in the deep ocean, the nutrient pulses from decomposing elephant carcasses as a natural disturbance may play a similar role in African savannas where they are a localised source of nutrient enrichment that likely impacts local biogeochemistry and the community dynamics of vegetation, vertebrates, invertebrates, and microbes. Our ongoing research in the Kruger National Park (KNP) has shown that elephant megacarcasses increase local nutrient pools in savanna soil and plants. These carcass derived nutrients have been shown to create distinct plant communities. Here, we compare plant communities of ten elephant megacarcass sites (< 2.5 m from centre) with those of the surrounding matrix (> 10 m). We found that plant communities at megacarcasses were significantly floristically distinct from the matrix, with this variation being driven primarily by grasses. Additionally, all grass species occurring at carcass sites were palatable. Surprisingly, 71 % of species found at matrix sites were also palatable, suggesting that these carcass sites become zones of fertility, hosting high-quality forage. Nevertheless, the nutritional value of grasses at carcass and matrix sites also differed, with the former being higher in macro- (e.g. N, K) and microminerals (e.g. Cu, Na, Mg) important for grazers. Although 40 % of forb and grass species at carcass sites were prostrate, making them less susceptible to herbivory by ungulates, graze frequency, and intensity here was still higher than in the matrix, which was associated with tufted graminoids. Megacarcasses represent a unique disturbance type which adds to the spatial complexity of semi-arid rangelands by creating hotspots with distinct floristics, and increased forage potential. This study contributes to a growing recognition that megacarcasses have significant effects on terrestrial ecosystems, however, native large mammal herbivore populations have been altered globally, with particularly the large-bodied species, such as elephants, becoming widely extinct, and anthropogenic pressures, such as the widespread establishment of livestock farming devastating the remaining populations. There has been little to no research on the effects of the absence of dead elephants. Our research begins to fill this knowledge gap by exploring the implications of the lack of elephant carcasses (or other large carcasses) on processes such as nutrient cycling, hotspot formation, and grazing quality, which are critical for rangeland functioning and productivity.