Table 1.

Colonization and recovery of fungi and bacteria in the 3D columns. The colonization and recovery were assessed by reculturing (growth) or by DNA extraction based on the cultures (culture) or agar/dung samples (direct). The success in the amplification and sequencing of ITS (fungi) and 16S rRNA (bacteria) genes is also indicated for DNA extracts obtained from the cultures or agar/dung samples.R = replicate number; w = weak growth; + = positive; − = negative; a = actinobacterial-like bacterial colonies.

			Growth		DNA extraction (ng/µL)		ITS		16S rDNA
Treatment	Sample	R	Fungi	Bacteria	Culture	Direct	Culture	Direct	Culture	Direct
TM agar	Horse dung	1	+	+	2.11	44.2	+	+	+	+
		2	+	+	32.2	76.1	+	+	+	+
		3	+	+	5.14	74.1	+	+	+	+
	Target agar	1	w	+	0.167	<0.5 ng/mL	−	+	+	+
		2	w	+	0.374	<0.5 ng/mL	−	+	+	+
		3	+	w	1.94	1.35	+	+	+	−
HD	Horse dung	1	+	+	29.8	110	+	+	+	+
		2	+	+	14.3	188	+	+	+	+
		3	+	+	37.8	84.7	+	+	+	+
	Target agar	1	−	a	9.43	3.18	−	-	+	−
		2	+	a	11.8	0.294	+	−	+	−
		3	+	+	2.74	0.1	+	+	+	+
Uninoculated	Horse dung	1	+	+	15.8	40.2	+	+	+	+
		2	+	+	9.07	44.6	+	+	+	+
		3	+	+	23.5	40.4	+	+	+	+
	Target agar	1	−	a	0.264	<0.5 ng/mL	−	−	+	−
		2	+	+	17.4	2.74	+	+	+	+
		3	−	a	0.383	<0.5 ng/mL	−	−	+	−