Xingzhao Sun of the research group Wildness, biodiversity and ecosystems under change of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) explored the complex ecological interactions between herbivore dung and plant communities, providing new insights into the role of nutrients and microbial communities in ecosystems.
For her study, Dr. Sun collected dung samples from five herbivore species-European bison, horse, fallow deer, rabbit, and Scottish Highland cattle-during a field study conducted in Zuid-Kennemerland National Park in the Netherlands in early 2020. These samples were then analyzed in the lab for nutrient content, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as for microbial community composition. ...
