Figure 2

The change of mass of original artificial 1 kg dung pats derived from cattle that were either untreated, (Control; triangle), treated with the ivermectin bolus, (IVM Bolus; square), or fed the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans (Fungus; circle). The dung pats were protected from birds and deposited on a nylon mesh on 4 occasions during the grazing seasons 1998–2000, respectively. The year-to-year pat location for the different treatments and deposition occasions were repeated during the 3 years of the trial. Weighing of the pats was performed 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks after deposition where the nylon mesh supporting the dung pat was lifted on to a scale and immediately afterwards replaced to its initial position. The corresponding daily mean temperature (solid line) and precipitation (bars) for the study periods are displayed below.