what role do porcupines have in the world?

Question

what do porcupines do for us or the environment? do they help us in any way???

Answer 1

check out these website---

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/04/0428_050428_babyporcupine.html

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1479565679079539210LLxEJo

I think the amusement value totallly justifies their existence, even if they don't "do" anything else for us!

Answer 2

Porcupines are the punk rockers of the animal world. Do you assume that all animals are here to serve mankind? That is just ignorant. Ecosystems produce all species for a reason

Answer 3

Porcupines are not here to " do " anything for us. The " purpose of porcupines is to replicate porcupine genes. Anything " done " in between is incidental.

Answer 4

There was this article...I guess the porcupine is a hero after all (right after sticking it to my unsuspecting pup):
Research project somewhere:
The Project had very interesting results, the research showing that porcupines play a key role in the unique and diverse ecosystem. Porcupines act as ecosystem engineers through their disturbance of the soil whilst foraging and alter plant community dynamics through selective herbivory and disturbance activity. Porcupines promote rare and endangered bulbs and help maintain biodiversity. The dissemination component of the project (workshops, talks, national TV programmes, local and national radio interviews, national and provincial newspapers, newsletters, Farmers magazine articles, pamphlets, etc) reached a broad range of stakeholders, from local inhabitants to national audiences, and changed perceptions about porcupines. Hundreds of people have contacted the project leader to ask for more information about porcupines, to express interest in the results, and people, including farmers, have shown a willingness to change management practices.

Answer 5

They at least help spread seeds... probably more. When any animal eats a plant, the animal walks away from that area digesting the plant. The seeds usually make it back out and the animals excrement acts as a fertilizer.

Answer 6

porcupines eat foliage, like grass, as they are rodents. they help keep the plant life at a medium. they don't eat seeds though.