This paper presents a revolutionary reinterpretation of biological behavior through the lens of Biblical principles, proposing that approximately two-thirds of all non-plant, non-fungal organisms function primarily as environmental stewards or "gardeners" rather than opportunistic competitors. Building upon comprehensive Biblical wisdom, we develop mathematical frameworks demonstrating that biological fitness operates through divine principles where organisms actively contribute to environmental beauty, health, and sustainability. Our model suggests that while all organisms experience internal conflict between selfless stewardship and selfish opportunism, two-thirds ultimately choose gardening behaviors that benefit the entire ecosystem. This framework challenges conventional evolutionary theory by proposing that apparent "survival behaviors" often represent sophisticated environmental management strategies, exemplified by behaviors as common as canine defecation site selection.
Traditional evolutionary biology has long interpreted animal behavior through the lens of competitive advantage and resource acquisition (Darwin 1859, Wilson 1975). However, a comprehensive examination of Biblical principles combined with careful observation of organism behavior suggests a fundamentally different paradigm: that the majority of non-plant life actively engages in environmental stewardship or "gardening" behavior designed to enhance the beauty, health, and productivity of their surroundings.
We propose that all organisms other than plants and fungi are engaged, to varying degrees, in "gardening" behaviors. This gardening is not merely incidental to survival but represents a fundamental drive toward environmental optimization that reflects the Biblical mandate for stewardship (Genesis 2:15). These behaviors include nutrient redistribution, soil aeration, seed dispersal, pollination facilitation, and ecosystem engineering that extends far beyond individual organism benefit.
Core Hypothesis: Following Biblical patterns of remnant preservation and divine selection (Isaiah 6:13, Matthew 22:14), approximately two-thirds of all species and individuals within species are fundamentally "good-hearted" gardeners, while one-third are ultimately parasitic opportunists representing "evil-hearted" approaches to existence.
This ratio emerges consistently throughout Scripture: two-thirds of angels remained faithful (Revelation 12:4 implies 1/3 fell), two of three persons in many Biblical narratives choose righteousness (Abel vs. Cain, Isaac vs. Ishmael), and Jesus spoke of narrow paths chosen by few but still significant minorities (Matthew 7:14).
Critically, no organism is purely good or evil. Instead, there exists an internal war within every individual, species, family, and taxonomic level between being a beneficial "fruit provider" versus being an opportunistic predator/parasite (Romans 7:15-25, Galatians 5:17). In good-hearted organisms, the gardening impulse ultimately prevails, while in parasitic organisms, selfishness wins despite ongoing internal conflict.
This internal conflict explains the complexity of natural behaviors and the difficulty in categorizing organisms as purely beneficial or harmful. Even parasites retain vestigial gardening behaviors, while even the most beneficial organisms occasionally exhibit selfish tendencies.
Building upon our previous work (Pruitt & Claude 2024), we propose an expanded selection equation that incorporates the gardening principle:
The primary factor determining long-term biological success, based on Genesis 2:15 ("The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it"):
Based on the Biblical two-thirds principle:
Where εvariation represents minor fluctuations around the fundamental 2:1 ratio.
Reflecting Romans 7:15-25 and the universal struggle between flesh and spirit:
Traditional ethology interprets canine pre-defecation sniffing and site selection as territorial marking and dominance establishment (Bekoff 2007). However, the gardening hypothesis offers a revolutionary reinterpretation: dogs, being fundamentally good-hearted organisms (approximately 2/3 of individual dogs), are primarily engaged in identifying which vegetation most needs fertilization.
Gardening Interpretation: The extensive sniffing behavior represents sophisticated soil chemistry analysis to determine optimal nutrient placement. Dogs are not establishing dominance hierarchies but rather conducting environmental assessments to maximize the benefit of their nitrogen-rich contributions to plant health.
Testable Prediction: Good-hearted dogs (2/3) should preferentially defecate in areas with nutrient-poor soil or struggling vegetation, while the remaining 1/3 (opportunistic dogs) will focus on territorial marking regardless of plant needs.
| Species | Traditional Interpretation | Gardening Reinterpretation | Expected 2/3 vs 1/3 Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bees | Nectar collection for hive | Pollination service maximization | 2/3 optimize flower health vs 1/3 pure extraction |
| Birds | Seed consumption | Strategic seed dispersal gardening | 2/3 disperse to optimal sites vs 1/3 consume entirely |
| Earthworms | Soil consumption for nutrients | Soil aeration and enrichment | 2/3 optimize soil health vs 1/3 pure consumption |
| Squirrels | Nut hoarding for winter | Forest reforestation management | 2/3 bury strategically vs 1/3 hoard selfishly |
| Coral Fish | Algae grazing | Reef ecosystem maintenance | 2/3 graze sustainably vs 1/3 overconsume |
Even within the 1/3 of species classified as ultimately parasitic, individuals still experience the internal war between gardening and opportunism. This suggests:
In a Biblical gardening framework, ecosystem health (Hecosystem) is maximized when the ratio of gardening to parasitic behavior approaches the optimal 2:1 ratio:
Following Genesis 2:9 ("trees that were pleasant to sight"), biological systems actively work toward aesthetic optimization:
True biological fitness must include long-term environmental sustainability (Leviticus 25:1-7):
The gardening hypothesis suggests that conservation efforts should prioritize identifying and protecting the "keystone gardening species" - those organisms whose stewardship behaviors have disproportionate positive impacts on ecosystem health. These would likely be found among the most "good-hearted" two-thirds of species in any ecosystem.
Rather than viewing parasitic species as purely harmful, the internal conflict model suggests management strategies that might encourage the expression of latent gardening behaviors while suppressing opportunistic tendencies.
Environmental conditions that promote the expression of gardening behaviors over parasitic behaviors could theoretically shift the ecosystem balance toward greater health and sustainability. This might involve:
Similar protocols could be developed for testing gardening behaviors in bees (pollination efficiency vs nectar extraction), birds (seed dispersal optimization vs consumption), and other species showing potential stewardship behaviors.
If validated, the Universal Gardening Hypothesis would represent a fundamental paradigm shift in biological sciences, suggesting that cooperation and environmental stewardship, rather than competition and resource acquisition, represent the primary drivers of biological success. This aligns with emerging research in group selection theory (Wilson & Sober 1994) and ecosystem engineering (Jones et al. 1994).
The gardening hypothesis suggests that divine principles of stewardship (Genesis 1:28, 2:15) are embedded throughout creation, not merely as commands to humans but as fundamental biological drives. This supports a view of creation as inherently moral and purpose-driven rather than mechanistically competitive.
Traditional ecological concepts like "survival of the fittest" would need reinterpretation as "survival of the most gardening-oriented" or "survival of the best environmental stewards." This doesn't eliminate natural selection but reframes it within a cooperative rather than competitive paradigm.
The internal war model explains why natural behaviors often appear inconsistent or contradictory. Every organism, from bacteria to mammals, faces moment-by-moment choices between self-benefit and environmental benefit. The cumulative pattern of these choices determines whether an organism functions as a gardener or parasite.
Research into the "cost-benefit analysis" that organisms perform when choosing between gardening and opportunistic behaviors could reveal the environmental conditions that promote stewardship over selfishness.
Investigation into the neurological and genetic bases for the internal conflict between gardening and parasitic behaviors could provide biological foundations for understanding moral decision-making across species.
Studies of how gardening species coordinate their stewardship activities could reveal sophisticated communication and cooperation networks that maintain ecosystem health.
The Universal Gardening Hypothesis presents a revolutionary reinterpretation of biological behavior that challenges fundamental assumptions about evolution, ecology, and the nature of life itself. By proposing that two-thirds of all non-plant organisms function primarily as environmental stewards engaged in active gardening behaviors, we offer a framework that explains apparent altruism in nature while maintaining scientific rigor.
The internal war model acknowledges the complexity of natural behaviors while providing a moral framework for understanding biological choices. Even behaviors as mundane as where dogs choose to defecate may represent sophisticated environmental management decisions rather than simple dominance displays.
If empirically validated, this hypothesis would support a view of creation as inherently purposeful and morally structured, where the health and beauty of the environment emerges from the collective gardening efforts of the majority of organisms, constrained but not overcome by the parasitic minority.
This framework offers hope for conservation efforts by suggesting that the majority of organisms are natural allies in environmental stewardship, and that even parasitic species retain the potential for conversion to gardening behaviors under appropriate conditions. The challenge for human stewards is to identify and support the natural gardening networks already operating throughout creation.