While no one wants to deal with rodents in their home, they do play an important role in the environment. A few ways rodents affect the environment include:
- Mice are a source of food for almost every type of animal. They also carry parasites such as ticks and fleas, which are also a nuisance, but also have their own role in the environment.
- Rodents also help grow new vegetation, as they collect seeds for consumption. Many of those seeds are not eaten, but they do germinate and grow new vegetation.
- Certain types of rodents burrow in the soil, digging tunnels as they do. This buries carbon and fertilizes the soil, which is a crucial component of plant growth.
- Some plants, such as orchids, will not germinate unless they are attached to a fungus. Rodents store fungi, such as mushrooms, spreading the spores as they do and allowing them to reproduce.
