By Remmy KopekaEvery scientific journey begins with curiosity, and my story is not different from other researchers. As an ecology enthusiast, I embarked on a research journey that led me to unravel the fascinating world of small mammals specifically rodents – which helped me to understand their significance in the ecosystem. Today, I share my experience, highlighting some of the important roles rodents play in maintaining the balance of our natural world and supporting sustainable agricultural practices.Approximately 42% of all mammalian species in the world are rodents, amounting to about 2,552 species (Burgin et al., 2018). Rodents have adapted to all lifestyles: terrestrial (live on land), aquatic (live in water), arboreal(live in trees), and fossorial (live underground). Most species are small, secretive, nocturnal, adaptable, and have keen senses of touch, taste, and smell. For most species of rodents, the incisors continually grow throughout their life span, requiring constant gnawing to keep the incisors sharp and at an appropriate length.Rodents have ecological, scientific, social, and economic values: They are important in seed and spore dispersal, pollination, seed predation, energy and nutrient cycling, the modification of plant […]
The remarkable role of rodents in ecosystems and human benefit
