why local static variables are saved in symbol table?

[fishpt]

I read the ELF file format. I have a question. the symbol table save symbol for relocation when linking. Why local variables are saved in symbol table?

see the next prrogram.

double enLargeOrg(double size){
static int rate = 8;
return rate * size;
}

double enLargePear(double size){
static int rate = 12;
return rate * size;
}

int main(){
printf("Orange size is %f\n",enLargeOrg(3.4));
printf("Pear size is %f\n",enLargePear(5.6));

return 1;
}

use gcc to compile to get the executable file test.

The .data section in test is :
test: file format elf32-i386

Disassembly of section .data:

0804953c <__data_start>:
...
08049544 <p.0>:
8049544: 2c 96 04 08 ,...

08049548 <completed.1>:
8049548: 00 00 00 00 ....

0804954c <force_to_data>:
804954c: 08 00 00 00 ....

08049550 <rate.1>:
8049550: 0c 00 00 00 ....

804954c save the value of rate in enLargeOrg. But in symbol table, its name is "rate.0". What does the "force_to_data" mean?