Practical workshop "The hidden life in the dung"
Many gardeners, but especially our WOERLE milk suppliers, know that cow manure is a valuable natural fertilizer. However, it not only benefits the growth and prosperity of plants in the pasture, but also offers much more.
More than just a fertilizer - cow dung as an agricultural community
What some may find disgusting is an excellent fertilizer for our WOERLE milk suppliers. A cow dung consists of water, squat plant fibers and microorganisms that come from the digestive tract of ruminants. It is rich in nutrients that can be quickly absorbed by plants in the soil. For many microorganisms, however, it offers protection and food. Up to 400 species of insects feed on cow dung and need it as a habitat. Some insects also use it as a "nursery" for their brood. Flies and beetles in particular are really attracted to the flat cakes. Each cow pat becomes a unique biotope with a species-rich community.
dung beetle
The dung beetle does not attract sympathy as easily as, for example, bees, butterflies or others - but the animals are extremely important. Without dung beetles, nature would be poorer in many ways. They make the nutrients in the cow dung that have not yet been used available to plants and accelerate the breakdown of the dung, which then gradually enters the soil as fertilizer. Beetle burrows dug through them ensure better soil health and greater seed dispersal. In addition, the insects that specialize in cow dung or their larvae are the basic food sources for countless species of birds, bats, etc.
Picture bottom left: bull's head beetle, picture bottom right: broken horn dung beetle (Photos: Tobias Schernhammer)
moonhorn beetle
The moonhorn beetle is mostly found under cattle manure. The droppings serve as food for the larvae, which the males transport into the brood chambers and which the females use to lay their eggs. The development of moon beetles from egg to beetle hatching takes about 4 months. The moonhorn beetle is on the endangered species list in Austria.
WOERLE Farmers as active living space designers
“Conservation is in the shit – the hidden life in the dung“…. we provocatively described the practical workshop that took place as part of the federal, state and EU-funded project "We build(er)n for diversity", in which WOERLE is a project partner. On the meadows of HBLA Ursprung Zoologist Tobias Schernhammer showed the participants the many different types of insects that feed on cow dung and can completely decompose it. The veterinarian Dr. Leopold Podstatzky. Many thanks to the speakers and to the HBLA Ursprung for the exciting day!
