Forests prefer gray squirrels

2004/01/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ekologia

In the state of Indiana has been studied the behavior of the gray and common squirrel to know its influence on the expansion of the forests. Thus, it has been proven that the bad memory of the gray squirrel helps the forest.

In the forests of Indiana the common squirrel was first introduced. Until then, the grey squirrel was king. These two species of squirrels have different customs when it comes to hiding food. In fact, the gray squirrel will bury the seeds of the trees, such as acorns and hazelnuts. However, at harvest time not all find them, so forgotten seeds germinate and new trees grow.

The common squirrel, on the other hand, did not bury the seeds, collect them in the trees and let them dry. Thus, the seeds do not germinate. Therefore, since the common squirrel was introduced, less oaks and hazelnuts have been born.