Many dung beetles specialize on the dung of particular animals and simply will not touch the poo of other critters. Dung beetles have unique ways to decompose a bison patty. Tunneler and roller dung beetle species are especially important because they bury fresh manure below the soil surface, which places the nutrient rich dung directly in the soil and activates microbial activity that begins to break down the dung. The dung beetle is important in moving the nitrogen and carbon from the dung to adjacent soil, where it can be more easily decomposed by soil microorganisms. The nitrogen in the bison dung would not be accessible to plants if it was not first converted to ammonium by soil microbes, which is made easier by dung beetles. Recent studies have shown an increase in herbage growth in relation to the density of dung beetles which benefits many ungulate species such as elk and deer.