The elephant plays a key role in the balance of its environment because of its, at first sight, very destructive diet. For instance, when it uproots trees in forests, it creates holes through which light engulfs and allows many plants to benefit from it. These uprooted trees are also eaten by smaller animal species. In decomposing, they form a new layer of humus, and enrichies the soil. In addition, many plants need their seeds to pass through the digestive tract of the elephant to germinate.