Effect of sheep, deer and cattle dung on herbage production and soil nutrient content

Williams, P. H.; Haynes, Richard

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2494.1995.tb02322.x

Cited by 106 publications

(117 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…At smaller scales, nutrient hotspots-characterized by increased levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and several important minerals [12]-spatially concentrate mammalian herbivores in grazing systems [13]. Such nutrient hotspots have been connected to abiotic heterogeneity, such as volcanic soil and catenal effects [12,14], as well as biotic drivers, such as nutrient concentration by herbivores [15,16]. Animal carcasses are important biotic agents that create localized nutrient pulses while at the same time aggregating parasites in the environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fatal attraction: vegetation responses to nutrient inputs attract herbivores to infectious anthrax carcass sites

et al. 2014

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Parasites can shape the foraging behaviour of their hosts through cues indicating risk of infection. When cues for risk co-occur with desired traits such as forage quality, individuals face a trade-off between nutrient acquisition and parasite exposure. We evaluated how this trade-off may influence disease transmission in a 3-year experimental study of anthrax in a guild of mammalian herbivores in Etosha National Park, Namibia. At plains zebra (Equus quagga) carcass sites we assessed (i) carcass nutrient effects on soils and grasses, (ii) concentrations of Bacillus anthracis (BA) on grasses and in soils, and (iii) herbivore grazing behaviour, compared with control sites, using motion-sensing camera traps. We found that carcass-mediated nutrient pulses improved soil and vegetation, and that BA is found on grasses up to 2 years after death. Host foraging responses to carcass sites shifted from avoidance to attraction, and ultimately to no preference, with the strength and duration of these behavioural responses varying among herbivore species. Our results demonstrate that animal carcasses alter the environment and attract grazing hosts to parasite aggregations. This attraction may enhance transmission rates, suggesting that hosts are limited in their ability to trade off nutrient intake with parasite avoidance when relying on indirect cues.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fatal attraction: vegetation responses to nutrient inputs attract herbivores to infectious anthrax carcass sites

et al. 2014

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“…Dung increased the nutrient content of the soil below the pads (MacDiarmid and Watkin 1972a;Weeda 1977;Dickinson and Craig 1990;Williams and Haynes 1995), with Olsen extractable P and Colwell K almost doubled in the upper soil layers in this experiment. Nutrient movement from the pads into the soil varied depending on mobility of the nutrient.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…Williams and Haynes (1995) reported a significant increase in bicarbonate-extractable P in soil 12 months after the application of cattle dung. In contrast, Dickinson and Craig (1990) observed a sharp decline in total soil P levels under dung in the first 12 days after pads were placed in the field, which never subsequently recovered.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Corrigendum to: Dung decomposition in temperate dairy pastures. I. Changes in soil chemical properties

Aarons¹,

Gourley²,

O’Connor³

2004

Soil Res.

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The effect of dung from cows grazing low and high input systems (2 cows/ha, 35 kg P/ha; 4 cows/ha, 140 kg P/ha) on soil chemical properties in temperate dairy pastures was investigated. Dung was used to create pads, and their effect on soil at 2 depths compared with control areas to which nothing was applied. Most dung had decomposed after 40 days in autumn, and was completely degraded by Day 60 in this temperate environment. Large quantities of the nutrients P, K, Ca, Na, Mg, and S were applied to the soil in these dung pads. The mechanism of movement of these nutrients from the pads into soil appeared to be based on their solubility in water. Phosphorus did not leach from the pads but was incorporated into the soil with the decomposing pad. Calcium, Mg, and S concentrations declined slowly in the decomposing pads. On the other hand, K and Na appeared to leach from the pads, as significant decreases in concentrations occurred during decomposition. Soil pH (1:20 soil:water) decreased under dung pads, although the effect did not last beyond 60 days and was linked to the observed increase in soil EC with depth. Extractable P and K increased considerably in soil under dung pads, but only in the upper 0–5 cm layer. Soil exchangeable aluminium and total organic P were not affected by the presence of dung pads. These results are discussed in relation to nutrient cycling in temperate Australian dairy pasture soils.

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“…Outro fator relevante é a rejeição da forragem pelos bovinos no entorno das fezes (Willians & Haynes, 1995). Com isso, locais próximos das fezes são pastejados com menor frequência em comparação a locais mais distantes.…”

Section: Resultsunclassified

“…Realmente, a presença de fezes provoca a rejeição das plantas em seu entorno pelos bovinos (Nolan et al, 1986;Willians & Haynes, 1995), pode aumentar a disponibilidade de nutrientes no solo para o pasto (Marchesin, 2005) e criar áreas de solo descoberto, o que facilita a colonização por outras espécies vegetais (Dias-Filho & Ferreira, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Características estruturais do pasto de capim-braquiária de acordo com a localização das fezes

Santos¹,

Fonseca

Silva³

et al. 2010

R. Bras. Zootec.

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RESUMO -Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito da localização das fezes de bovinos sobre as características de perfilhos vegetativos e reprodutivos, a massa dos componentes da planta, a densidade volumétrica da forragem e a altura do pasto de Brachiaria decumbens, cv. Basilisk, manejado sob lotação contínua. O delineamento foi em blocos casualizados, com três repetições, em esquema de parcela subdivida, considerando parcelas os locais próximos e distantes das fezes e subparcelas as categorias de perfilhos vegetativos e reprodutivos. A massa de lâmina foliar viva (LFV) por perfilho em locais próximos às fezes (0,14 g) foi maior que nos locais distantes das fezes (0,08 g), contrariamente ao verificado para a composição de massa de lâmina foliar morta por perfilho. A massa de LFV nos perfilhos vegetativos (0,15 g) foi maior que nos perfilhos reprodutivos (0,06 g). Por outro lado, a massa de colmo (0,38 g) e de lâmina foliar morta (0,20 g) foi maior nos perfilhos reprodutivos. O peso dos perfilhos das plantas próximas às fezes foi maior (0,58 g) que daqueles distantes das fezes (0,17 g).Em locais próximos das fezes, o número de perfilhos vegetativos foi menor, enquanto o de perfilhos reprodutivos foi maior. On sites near the feces, the number of vegetative tiller was lower, while the number of reproductive tiller was higher. Higher contents of dry matter of the green stem, green forage and total forage of the pasture were observed on sites close to feces

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Effect of sheep, deer and cattle dung on herbage production and soil nutrient content

Cited by 106 publications

References 19 publications

Fatal attraction: vegetation responses to nutrient inputs attract herbivores to infectious anthrax carcass sites

Fatal attraction: vegetation responses to nutrient inputs attract herbivores to infectious anthrax carcass sites

Corrigendum to: Dung decomposition in temperate dairy pastures. I. Changes in soil chemical properties

Características estruturais do pasto de capim-braquiária de acordo com a localização das fezes

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