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Without keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether. Some keystone species, such as the wolf and lion, are also apex predators. The role that a keystone species plays in its ecosystem is analogous to the role of a keystone in an arch. While the keystone is under the least pressure of any of the ...
An example of a keystone species in the North American deserts would be the coyote or mountain lion. These two predators can control the population and distribution of a large number of prey species. A single mountain lion can roam an area of hundreds of kilometers, in which deer, rabbits, and bird species are partly controlled by a predator of ...
For example, a keystone predator can significantly alter the behavior of competing species. Hyenas, by preying on lions or scavenging their kills, can reduce the lions’ ability to dominate a territory. This helps other predators and scavengers, like cheetahs, access resources they might otherwise be excluded from (Hayward & Slotow, 2009).
These species are keystone because they have learned to adapt to the cold climate of the area and are able to survive year-round. These species survive year-round in taiga by changing fur color and growing extra fur. They have adapted to use each other to survive too. All of the predators depend on the snowshoe hare at some point during the year.
Such predators are known as keystone species and may have a profound influence on the balance of organisms in a particular ecosystem. [135] Introduction or removal of this predator, or changes in its population density, can have drastic cascading effects on the equilibrium of many other populations in the ecosystem.
The California spiny lobster, or Panulirus interruptus, is a keystone predator that has a distinct role in maintaining species diversity in its habitat. Robles (1987) demonstrated experimentally that the exclusion of spiny lobsters from the intertidal zone habitats led to the competitive dominance of mussels ( Mytilus edulis and M. californianus ).
A keystone species is one that, if it disappears, can cause the entire ecosystem to collapse. Prairie dogs are an important food source for predators in the area.
Sea stars in the genus Pisaster are all predators; the ochre sea star is the best-characterized of these, and is considered a "keystone" predator that controls the relative abundance of many other species in the ecosystem.