An Important Role

“Their biggest contribution to the forest is in shaping plant composition. They have a peculiar habit of taking seeds, which are their main source of nutrients, and burying them,” McCleery explains. “They bury them throughout the environment, and often, when they go back and look for them, they forget where they are. When that happens, they are effectively planting seeds.” This odd behavior, called caching, changes the forest landscape for the better over time.