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A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance. The concept was introduced in 1969 by the zoologist Robert T. Paine. Keystone species play a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community, affecting many other organisms in an ecosystem and ...
An ecosystem engineer is any species that creates, significantly modifies, maintains or destroys a habitat. These organisms can have a large impact on species richness and landscape-level heterogeneity of an area. [1] As a result, ecosystem engineers are important for maintaining the health and stability of the environment they are living in.
Some species, called a keystone species form a central supporting hub unique to their ecosystem. [128] The loss of such a species results in a collapse in ecosystem function, as well as the loss of coexisting species. [5] Keystone species are usually predators due to their ability to control the population of prey in their ecosystem. [128]
A "keystone species" is a species that "has disproportionate importance in their community." [8] Keystone species on the great plains include the bison and the prairie dog. Many other species live on the grasslands, including deer, rabbits, mice, and many types of birds.
The umbrella species is often either a flagship species whose conservation benefits other species [1]: 280 or a keystone species which may be targeted for conservation due to its impact on an ecosystem. Umbrella species can be used to help select the locations of potential reserves, find the minimum size of these conservation areas or reserves ...
The sea otter is a prime example of a keystone species. A keystone species is a singular species within an ecosystem that others within the same ecosystem, or the entire ecosystem itself, rely upon. [20] Keystone species' are so vital for an ecosystem that without their presence, an ecosystem could transform or stop existing entirely. [20]
The Taiga of North America is a Level I ecoregion of North America designated by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) in its North American Environmental Atlas. The taiga ecoregion includes much of interior Alaska as well as the Yukon forested area, and extends on the west from the Bering Sea to the Richardson Mountains in on the ...
By analyzing network structures, one can determine keystone species that are of particular importance. A different class of keystone species is what are termed 'ecosystem engineers'. Certain organisms alter the environment so drastically that it affects many interactions that take place within a habitat.