Kenya Long-term Exclosure Experiment (KLEE) dung count data

Starting in 2006, we have conducted biennial (roughly March and October) dung surveys along six-4 m x100 m permanent transects within each of the 18 KLEE plots and three control transects outside of the KLEE plots. This Excel worksheet features dung count data for each KLEE plot. Count data is broken down by herbivore species. To avoid recounting the same dung piles during subsequent surveys, we crush all recorded dung piles during each session. For animals that defecate in middens (such as steinbuck and Grant's gazelle), we used the number of dung pellets and differences in shape and color to estimate the number of separate defecation events. Dung piles for all major herbivore species could be positively identified to species in the field, with two exceptions. The dung of cattle and buffalo could not be distinguished, and we lumped them. The dung of plains and Grevy's zebras also could not be distinguished from each other; hence we grouped them as “zebra”. However, plains zebra far outnumber Grevy’s, so effectively we consider these to be plains zebra dung.

2006年起，我们针对18个KLEE样地（KLEE plots）内的各6条4m×100m永久样线，以及KLEE样地外的3条对照样线，每两年开展一次粪便调查，调查时间大致为每年3月与10月。本Excel工作表包含各KLEE样地的粪便计数数据，且计数数据已按草食动物物种进行分类。为避免后续调查中重复计数同一粪便堆，我们会在每次调查时将已记录的粪便堆全部碾碎。对于在固定粪场排便的动物（如小苇羚（steinbuck）和葛氏瞪羚（Grant's gazelle）），我们通过粪便颗粒数量、形状与颜色差异，估算单次独立排便事件的次数。绝大多数大型草食动物的粪便堆均可在野外直接准确鉴定至物种水平，仅存在两种例外情况：牛（cattle）与水牛（buffalo）的粪便无法区分，因此我们将其合并为一类；平原斑马（plains zebra）与细纹斑马（Grevy's zebra）的粪便同样无法区分，因此我们将其合并为"zebra"类别。但平原斑马的数量远多于细纹斑马，因此实际上我们将此类粪便认定为平原斑马粪便。