Squirrels play interesting roles both in real gardens and in the game "Grow a Garden." In real-life gardens, squirrels:
- Cache food such as nuts, seeds, and fungi by burying them in the garden. They often forget some of these caches, which helps with reforestation and spreading plants. This role makes them "accidental gardeners" since forgotten seeds can grow into new trees or shrubs.
- Although they can sometimes be pests by eating fruits, flower buds, bulbs, and stripping bark off trees, their food-stashing behavior positively impacts plant growth and ecosystem spread.
- By burying nuts like acorns, they help with natural growth and spreading of woodland plants and trees.
In the game "Grow a Garden" (Roblox):
- The squirrel acts as a pet that provides a 2.5% chance to keep the seed after planting it. This means players have a small chance to effectively duplicate seeds when planting, which is helpful for growing a lush garden more efficiently.
- The chance increases with more squirrels, stacking the benefit.
- Feeding the squirrel in the game helps it age and improves the chance of retaining seeds.
So, squirrels contribute to gardens by aiding seed dispersal in nature and by helping players conserve seeds in the game "Grow a Garden." They have a unique blend of roles as both helpers and occasionally garden pests in the real-world context, while in the game, they specifically help conserve seeds for planting.
