What are Keystone Species?
Answer – Keystone species are the species in an ecosystem that play a major role in the maintenance of that ecosystem.
Explanation:
The term “keystone species” was coined in the 1960s when ecologist Robert Paine removed all starfish belonging to a single species from a coastline ecosystem. The effect of its removal was a massive change in the structure and functioning of that ecosystem.
Ecosystems are made up of a large number of different species. However, the magnitude of the impact each of them has on the overall ecosystem varies. Some species may not exert a far-reaching effect, while others are vital. Keystone species are vital to their ecosystems. Their influence is tremendous, and their absence from their ecosystem would cause it to change completely.
A keystone species could be a large organism, or it could be a microscopic one. The exact role it plays in the environment also varies from ecosystem to ecosystem; they could be a predator, a prey, a mutualist, an ecosystem engineer or a plant. However, its presence is paramount for the ecosystem to maintain itself and be recognizable. Removal of the keystone species will likely destroy the ecosystem, transforming it into something else entirely.
An example of a widely acknowledged keystone species is the bee. They are vital for the pollination of a range of plants; no other method of pollination, natural or artificial, contributes as much as bees do. Without them, whole plant species may die out, in turn disrupting the ecosystems they are a part of.
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