Gommers, M.I. (2014) The distribution of dung and its nutrients by dung beetles. Master's Thesis / Essay, Biology.
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Abstract
Nutrient cycling is essential for ecosystem functioning and is a complex process influenced and determined by many different components. In African savannas, large grazers can accelerate nutrient cycling through creating readily available nutrients in their urine and dung, thereby enhancing the carrying capacity of their ecosystem. Despite theories involving the importance of dung fertilization, this has barely been researched, in contrast to fertilization through urine. The theory described above assumes that large herbivores fertilize the areas where they graze most, namely the highly nutritious lawn vegetation. In heterogeneous savannas this might not be the case, even when dung is originally deposited on the grazed lawn grasses. Dung beetles could move large amounts of dung to other vegetation patches, such as the low nutritious bunch grasses or shrubs.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master's Thesis / Essay) |
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| Degree programme: | Biology |
| Thesis type: | Master's Thesis / Essay |
| Language: | English |
| Date Deposited: | 15 Feb 2018 08:02 |
| Last Modified: | 15 Feb 2018 08:02 |
| URI: | https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/12422 |
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