DOI: 10.5061/dryad.73b8m
title: Data from: Interactions between C:N:P stoichiometry and soil macrofauna control dung decomposition of savanna herbivores

description: 1. Although dung of mammalian herbivores is an important pathway for
 nutrient return in savanna ecosystems, differences in dung decomposition
 rates among species have been little studied. 2. We measured rates of dung
 deposition and decomposition for various herbivores in a moist Tanzanian
 savanna, and related differences among species to nutrient concentrations
 and the activities of soil macrofauna (e.g., different mesh sizes of
 decomposition bags, or presence and absence of dung beetles). 3. Dung
 C:N:P stoichiometry varied widely among species, which could in part be
 explained by differences in feeding strategy (browsers vs. grazers) and
 digestive physiology (ruminants vs. non-ruminants). Rates of both
 decomposition and nutrient release were influenced by the C:N:P
 stoichiometry of dung, with lower relative losses of the least abundant
 nutrient. Surprisingly, soil macrofauna increased relative losses of the
 least abundant nutrient, thereby stabilizing the ratio of N loss to P
 loss. Dung beetles increased rates of N and P release from wildebeest dung
 significantly and also increased N availability in the soil. 4. We
 conclude that rates of nutrient return in dung depend not only on where
 herbivores deposit their dung, but also on its C:N:P stoichiometry, the
 activity of soil macrofauna, and interactions between these factors. These
 factors may therefore influence the relative availabilities of N and P in
 the soil and hence the functioning of savanna ecosystems.
description: Dung beetle
 preferenceThe first excel sheet
 ("Callibration beetle_weight") contains a table with numbers of
 dung beetles and their corresponding weights. The second excel sheet
 ("Dung beetle preference study") contains a table describing the
 number of dung beetles caught after 12, 24 or 36 hours with dung of
 different herbivore species. In the third excel sheet ("Dung
 watercontent") we calculated the water content of dung from different
 herbivore species: "el" is elephant, "wl" is
 wildebeest, "zb" is zebra and "bf" is
 buffalo.Dung decomposition
 experimentThe first excel sheet
 ("all data") is an overview of the dung decomposition experiment
 containing the relative weight and nutrient (C, N and P) loss together
 with C, N and P release rates of dung from different herbviore species
 ("bf" is buffalo, "gf" is giraffe, "rb" is
 reedbuck, "wb" is waterbuck, "wh" is warthog and
 "wl" is wildebeest) collected after 41 or 167 days. Dung was
 placed in dung bags with a fine (mesh.size =1) or coarse (mesh.size = 2)
 mesh, whereby the latter allowed acces of macrofauna to the dung. Signs of
 termite and/or dung beetle attack were recorded in the
 "termites" and "dungbeetles" columns, which were
 combined to form the "soil.fauna" column. The second excel sheet
 ("t=0") contains a table with weight and nutrient contents of
 the dung at the start of the experiment.Dung decomposition
 exp.xlsDung beetle
 experimentFirst excel sheet
 ("dungbeetle cages") is an overview table of relative biomass
 loss and C, N and P release rates from dung undergoing different dung
 beetle and crushing treatments: "nodb.nomash" is no dung beeltes
 + not crushed, "nodb.mash" is no dung beetles + crushed,
 "db.nomash" is dung beetles + not crushed and
 "db.mash" is dung beetles + crushed. Weight and nutrients of the
 dung at the start of the experiment are indicated by "t0" and
 these are calculated from data in the second excel sheet ("t0_all
 species"). Weight and nutrients of the dung when collected (either at
 day 15, 29 or 47) are indicated by "tx".Dung deposition per
 collection timeThis excel file consists
 of several sheets representing different dung collection times
 (time0-time13). The sheets describe at which site (MAC = Mkwaja area and
 SAC = Saadani area) dung was collected (in biomass) and which herbivore
 species deposited that dung. Time0, time6 and time10 were collection times
 at the start of a field season in which the dungplot was cleared; these
 data were not taken into account for the dung deposition
 analyses.Dung
 deposition.xlsDung deposition per
 guildIn this excel file the
 dung deposition data of "Dung deposition per collection
 time.xls" are combined into dung biomass deposited per herbivore
 feeding strategy and digestive physiology group (noted as column
 "guild" in the file): "rum.br" is ruminant browser,
 "nonrum.gr" is non-ruminant grazer and "rum.gr" is
 ruminant grazer. The dung biomass deposition is combined with the N and P
 contents of dung in dry and wet periods to estimate annual N and P inputs
 through dung.Dung nutrient
 overviewAn overview of dung
 nutrient concentrations (C, N and P) and ratios of the most common
 herbivore species of Saadani National Park collected on several occasions
 during two years. Dung was collected for several experiments (under column
 "data": see excel file for abbreviations of experiments) and in
 two areas (under column "location": "SA" is Saadani
 area, "MK" is Mkwaja area).Resin bag
 experimentCalculated adsorbed N
 and P values of resin bags placed for 34 days in pots containing only
 soil, soil and dung, or soil, dung and dung beetles (see column
 "treatment").