Which animal is helpful

This action provides water for other animals in their shared habitat. They also create gaps in the forest vegetation when they eat. That creates space for new plants to grow and for smaller animals to find new paths through the forest.

It might be easier to say what birds don't do when it comes to the Earth's environment. From seed dispersal to plant pollination , they truly do it all. Birds also aid in insect pest control when they chow down on those tiny bugs and help to aerate soil when they dig with their claws. Birds also play a role in forest decomposition, and they are similar to frogs, acting as bio-indicators for the ecosystem.

They play an essential role when it comes to the Earth's survival. Ants are crucial to the Earth's soil. Who knew, right?! The tiny but mighty insects keep our ecosystems in balance and help to clean up rainforests.

When they dig their tunnels, they aerate the soil and recycle nutrients. In doing so, they provide rich, healthy soil for plant growth. Their tiny actions make a huge difference, which includes reducing the need for chemical fertilizers or irrigation. Primates are our closest relatives in nature. They are incredibly important in tropical rainforests. They disperse seeds as they eat fruits in the forest and fertilize the soil. Their actions help to prevent the erosion of soil in our rapidly disappearing rainforests, which in turn influence global rainfall patterns.

Boars are normally very destructive in their environment, and while that is still true, they are also champions at seed dispersal. Their stiff, bristly fur easily catches seeds as boars work their way through forests. Researchers counted the types of seeds found in boars' fur, and the number was upwards of 40 different seed species. Boars scatter the seeds far and wide, creating high levels of plant diversity in forested areas. Without plankton, there would be half the oxygen in the world that there is today.

These microscopic critters stay close to the surface of the water, where there is enough light for photosynthesis.

They also break down organic matter in water and recycle dead organisms. Plankton are an unbreakable link in the ocean food chain. Whales are doing their part to save both land and sea. Their excrement is full of nutrients. When whale expel their excrement near the surface of the water, it transfers to birds.

They then carry it to land, where the nutrients are transferred to the soil, thus acting as a natural fertilizer. Fish excrement helps the ocean's climate. Strange, but true. Fish ingest a lot of salt when they drink salt water, and they produce calcium carbonate in their excrements. When it floats to the surface and dissolves, it counteracts the carbon dioxide. This reduces the acidity of the ocean water, thus creating more balanced chemical levels in the ocean. These creepy guys aren't going to be at the top of anyone's list of favorite animals, but they are helpful to the Earth.

As they burrow and consume soil, worms extract nutrients from decomposing matter, like leaves and roots. They transport these nutrients to the surface with their excrements, and all of that digging that they do aerates the soil.

Termites might be destructive when it comes to your home, but the exact opposite is true when it comes to nature. Do you know all that gunk that sits around at the end of autumn?

It also means making a well-considered decision for adopting an animal and to guarantee a forever home for them, because, already shelters are overrun with many others desperate for homes. In the United States alone, each year around 6.

In , 18, thousand animals were taken into Swiss shelters, and just 12, animals were adopted. German animal shelters receive more than , dogs, cats, small mammals, birds and exotic animals every year. Only , cats are the lucky ones who find a new forever home. Animals help us — let us help animals. Adoption is the best way if you want a companion animal in your life. Adoption relieves animal shelters, minimises the online trade of animals, counters disreputable breeding of animals, and offers animals a new beginning in a new forever home.

In addition to being a farm animal with a particularly low environmental impact and a sweet tooth for invasive weed species, llamas have also been found to be incredibly effective guard animals.

Yes, guard llamas. These sociable creatures bond with herd animals, which makes them instinctively protective against predators and an invaluable asset to shepherds and ranchers. Rats detect landmines. More efficient than metal detectors and cheaper than dogs, rats nicknamed HeroRats are being trained to sniff out landmines, allowing previously unusable land to once again be productive.

Squirrels help trees take root. Narwhals assist scientists. Elephants create a source of water for other species. Not only are they major tourist attractions for many countries who depend on this economic boost, the elephant is also one of the most intelligent animals on the planet and key to the biodiversity of its ecosystem.

During dry seasons, elephants use their large tusks to dig for water—providing some much-needed relief from the heat for other animals. Birds balance nature. The ecological handyman, birds really do it all: from reforestation and seed pollination to pest control and soil fertilization.

Octopi are avid recyclers. An unlikely ally, octopi are resourceful creatures with a talent for recycling. They put their tentacles to work reusing and reducing waste through their creative use of glass containers, coconut shells, and other debris to create shelters.