Burning poop: chemical composition and carbon dynamics of large herbivore dung burned in African savanna fires

Sanchez-Garcia, Carmen; Nuno, Cristina Santin; Strydom, T.; Otero, X. L.; Doerr, Stefan

doi:10.1071/wf24162

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Burning poop: chemical composition and carbon dynamics of large herbivore dung burned in African savanna fires

Carmen Sanchez-Garcia, Cristina Santin Nuno, T. Strydom, X. L. Otero, Stefan Doerr

International Journal of Wildland Fire, Volume: 34, Issue: 3

Swansea University Authors: Carmen Sanchez-Garcia, Cristina Santin Nuno, Stefan Doerr

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DOI (Published version): 10.1071/wf24162

Abstract

Background. Fire and herbivores are essential to savanna ecosystems, consuming vegetation and recycling nutrients. Fire volatilises some elements and makes others readily available through ash, while herbivores redistribute nutrients via dung (excrement, faeces). Aims. We investigate, for the first...

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Published in:	International Journal of Wildland Fire
ISSN:	1049-8001 1448-5516
Published:	CSIRO Publishing 2025
Online Access:	Check full text
URI:	https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69499

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last_indexed	2025-06-24T04:55:26Z
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Fire and herbivores are essential to savanna ecosystems, consuming vegetation and recycling nutrients. Fire volatilises some elements and makes others readily available through ash, while herbivores redistribute nutrients via dung (excrement, faeces). Aims. We investigate, for the first time, fire’s role in consuming dung and affecting nutrient cycling. Methods. We examined the chemical characteristics of wild large herbivore dung (buffalo, elephant, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra) burned during African savanna fires (Kruger National Park, South Africa) and estimated carbon and nutrients losses from dung burning. Key results. Smouldering combustion of dung led to high carbon loss to the atmosphere (C: 41% and 4.1% in unburned and burned dung) and high enrichment of nutrients (e.g. Ca, P) and metals (e.g. Cu, Fe, Zn) in the burned residue. Flaming combustion of grass resulted in lower carbon loss (C: 43% and 23% in vegetation and ash), leaving more carbon in the ash and lower relative enrichment of other nutrients and metals. Conclusions. Burned dung forms nutrient hotspots with physicochemical characteristics distinct from vegetation ash. Implications. Taking dung from wild or domestic herbivores into account in fuel inventories can improve estimations of fire-related carbon emissions and provide better understanding of fire impacts on nutrients cycling.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>International Journal of Wildland Fire</journal><volume>34</volume><journalNumber>3</journalNumber><paginationStart/><paginationEnd/><publisher>CSIRO Publishing</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint>1049-8001</issnPrint><issnElectronic>1448-5516</issnElectronic><keywords>Africa, biogeochemical cycles, carbon emissions, droppings, dung, grass fires, herbivores, manure, nutrient cycling, pellets, savannas, smouldering</keywords><publishedDay>18</publishedDay><publishedMonth>3</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2025</publishedYear><publishedDate>2025-03-18</publishedDate><doi>10.1071/wf24162</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Biosciences Geography and Physics School</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>BGPS</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>Another institution paid the OA fee</apcterm><funders>During manuscript preparation C. Sánchez-García and S. H. Doerr received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101003890. Fieldwork was funded by The Leverhulme Trust (grant RPG-2014-095). Chemical analyses were supported by Natural Environment Research Council grant (NE/R011125/1) and by the Consellería de Educacion, Universidade e Formacion Profesional–Xunta de Galicia (Axudas á consolidacion e estruturacion de unidades de investigacion competitivas do SUG del Plan Galego IDT, Ambiosol Group ref. 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L.</firstname><surname>Otero</surname><order>4</order></author><author><firstname>Stefan</firstname><surname>Doerr</surname><orcid>0000-0002-8700-9002</orcid><order>5</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>69499__34537__44d7e5e3da604676aec1eb6b1efd5e4e.pdf</filename><originalFilename>69499.VoR.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2025-06-23T10:53:52.8054110</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>5183597</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY).</documentNotes><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect><language>eng</language><licence>https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</licence></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling	2025-06-23T10:57:12.4927138 v2 69499 2025-05-12 Burning poop: chemical composition and carbon dynamics of large herbivore dung burned in African savanna fires 466600dc1f90b208a9008df7c9805a7b Carmen Sanchez-Garcia Carmen Sanchez-Garcia true false 993c82cbaf875c1268156360e83c4dfd Cristina Santin Nuno Cristina Santin Nuno true false 575eb5094f2328249328b3e43deb5088 0000-0002-8700-9002 Stefan Doerr Stefan Doerr true false 2025-05-12 BGPS Background. Fire and herbivores are essential to savanna ecosystems, consuming vegetation and recycling nutrients. Fire volatilises some elements and makes others readily available through ash, while herbivores redistribute nutrients via dung (excrement, faeces). Aims. We investigate, for the first time, fire’s role in consuming dung and affecting nutrient cycling. Methods. We examined the chemical characteristics of wild large herbivore dung (buffalo, elephant, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra) burned during African savanna fires (Kruger National Park, South Africa) and estimated carbon and nutrients losses from dung burning. Key results. Smouldering combustion of dung led to high carbon loss to the atmosphere (C: 41% and 4.1% in unburned and burned dung) and high enrichment of nutrients (e.g. Ca, P) and metals (e.g. Cu, Fe, Zn) in the burned residue. Flaming combustion of grass resulted in lower carbon loss (C: 43% and 23% in vegetation and ash), leaving more carbon in the ash and lower relative enrichment of other nutrients and metals. Conclusions. Burned dung forms nutrient hotspots with physicochemical characteristics distinct from vegetation ash. Implications. Taking dung from wild or domestic herbivores into account in fuel inventories can improve estimations of fire-related carbon emissions and provide better understanding of fire impacts on nutrients cycling. Journal Article International Journal of Wildland Fire 34 3 CSIRO Publishing 1049-8001 1448-5516 Africa, biogeochemical cycles, carbon emissions, droppings, dung, grass fires, herbivores, manure, nutrient cycling, pellets, savannas, smouldering 18 3 2025 2025-03-18 10.1071/wf24162 COLLEGE NANME Biosciences Geography and Physics School COLLEGE CODE BGPS Swansea University Another institution paid the OA fee During manuscript preparation C. Sánchez-García and S. H. Doerr received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101003890. Fieldwork was funded by The Leverhulme Trust (grant RPG-2014-095). Chemical analyses were supported by Natural Environment Research Council grant (NE/R011125/1) and by the Consellería de Educacion, Universidade e Formacion Profesional–Xunta de Galicia (Axudas á consolidacion e estruturacion de unidades de investigacion competitivas do SUG del Plan Galego IDT, Ambiosol Group ref. ED431C 2022/40). 2025-06-23T10:57:12.4927138 2025-05-12T17:12:31.0320795 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography Carmen Sanchez-Garcia 1 Cristina Santin Nuno 2 T. Strydom 3 X. L. Otero 4 Stefan Doerr 0000-0002-8700-9002 5 69499__34537__44d7e5e3da604676aec1eb6b1efd5e4e.pdf 69499.VoR.pdf 2025-06-23T10:53:52.8054110 Output 5183597 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY). true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title	Burning poop: chemical composition and carbon dynamics of large herbivore dung burned in African savanna fires
spellingShingle	Burning poop: chemical composition and carbon dynamics of large herbivore dung burned in African savanna fires Carmen Sanchez-Garcia Cristina Santin Nuno Stefan Doerr
title_short	Burning poop: chemical composition and carbon dynamics of large herbivore dung burned in African savanna fires
title_full	Burning poop: chemical composition and carbon dynamics of large herbivore dung burned in African savanna fires
title_fullStr	Burning poop: chemical composition and carbon dynamics of large herbivore dung burned in African savanna fires
title_full_unstemmed	Burning poop: chemical composition and carbon dynamics of large herbivore dung burned in African savanna fires
title_sort	Burning poop: chemical composition and carbon dynamics of large herbivore dung burned in African savanna fires
author_id_str_mv	466600dc1f90b208a9008df7c9805a7b 993c82cbaf875c1268156360e83c4dfd 575eb5094f2328249328b3e43deb5088
author_id_fullname_str_mv	466600dc1f90b208a9008df7c9805a7b_*_Carmen Sanchez-Garcia 993c82cbaf875c1268156360e83c4dfd__Cristina Santin Nuno 575eb5094f2328249328b3e43deb5088_**_Stefan Doerr
author	Carmen Sanchez-Garcia Cristina Santin Nuno Stefan Doerr
author2	Carmen Sanchez-Garcia Cristina Santin Nuno T. Strydom X. L. Otero Stefan Doerr
format	Journal article
container_title	International Journal of Wildland Fire
container_volume	34
container_issue	3
publishDate	2025
institution	Swansea University
issn	1049-8001 1448-5516
doi_str_mv	10.1071/wf24162
publisher	CSIRO Publishing
college_str	Faculty of Science and Engineering
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hierarchy_parent_title	Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str	School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography
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description	Background. Fire and herbivores are essential to savanna ecosystems, consuming vegetation and recycling nutrients. Fire volatilises some elements and makes others readily available through ash, while herbivores redistribute nutrients via dung (excrement, faeces). Aims. We investigate, for the first time, fire’s role in consuming dung and affecting nutrient cycling. Methods. We examined the chemical characteristics of wild large herbivore dung (buffalo, elephant, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra) burned during African savanna fires (Kruger National Park, South Africa) and estimated carbon and nutrients losses from dung burning. Key results. Smouldering combustion of dung led to high carbon loss to the atmosphere (C: 41% and 4.1% in unburned and burned dung) and high enrichment of nutrients (e.g. Ca, P) and metals (e.g. Cu, Fe, Zn) in the burned residue. Flaming combustion of grass resulted in lower carbon loss (C: 43% and 23% in vegetation and ash), leaving more carbon in the ash and lower relative enrichment of other nutrients and metals. Conclusions. Burned dung forms nutrient hotspots with physicochemical characteristics distinct from vegetation ash. Implications. Taking dung from wild or domestic herbivores into account in fuel inventories can improve estimations of fire-related carbon emissions and provide better understanding of fire impacts on nutrients cycling.
published_date	2025-03-18T05:28:21Z
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Burning poop: chemical composition and carbon dynamics of large herbivore dung burned in African savanna fires

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