Spotted Hyaena Latrine Data on Calcium and Phosphorus Nutrient Cycling

Field-based evidence for the zoogeochemical role of spotted hyaena in recycling macronutrients. The data compares three faecal preparation techniques and measures calcium and phosphorus concentrations across faeces, soil, and plant matter. Data collection was conducted with approval from the University of Pretoria and South African authorities.

Use Cases

• Compare faecal nutrient analysis techniques based on the described fresh, lyophilised, and ashed preparation methods.
• Model landscape nutrient distribution based on described data on latrine use patterns and seasonal impacts.
• Trace nutrient flow from animal faeces to soil and plants based on measured calcium and phosphorus concentrations.

Strengths

• Provides the first field-based evidence for the zoogeochemical role of spotted hyaena.
• Includes data on three different faecal material preparation techniques for nutrient analysis.
• Measures calcium and phosphorus concentrations across multiple sample types (faeces, soil, plant matter).
• Data collection was approved by institutional ethics committees and a national department.

Limitations

• Dataset size is 327.9 KB, indicating a limited scope and sample size.
• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

MSc dissertation research by Courtney Robertson, shared via figshare.

Collection Method

Field data collection from spotted hyaena latrines, with laboratory nutrient analysis.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-03 08:14:13; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Likely South Africa, based on approving authorities (University of Pretoria, MTPA, DAFF).