The story of nutrient cycling through bison poop and pee begins in the rumen (the first chamber of the bison's four chambered digestion system) of the bison where the natural process of rumination (breaking down of food) recruits an entire microbial community to digest plant matter. These microbes, and undigested plant matter are passed through the bison gut and out onto the soil in feces and urine. Bison pies are elixirs of nutrients for the prairie, spreading seeds, fertilizing the soil, and attracting insectsâ€”such as the dung beetleâ€”to the region. As many as 300 species of insects will live in one bison patty, and 1,000 individual insects will occupy that same patty from the time it's deposited to its removal. A single dung pat can produce up to 3000 flies over two weeks. Luckily for the box turtle, bats and many birds, more dung beetles and flies in the area means more meals for them as well. Bison dung and urine also provide a rich food supply essential to microorganisms found within soil. An entire, nearly invisible micro-ecosystem is fueled by the deposition of bison poop and pee. 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.