have been tasked with identifying

BIOLOGY:CONCEPTS+APPL.(LOOSELEAF)
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Chapter41: Community Ecology
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You are on a field trip visiting a local pond. You have been tasked with identifying the different abiotic and biotic factors that affect the ecosystem. You notice a large dam blocking what used to be a stream. There are several aquatic plants and animals in the area. Fish reside in the pond, small reptiles like skinks and snakes live around fallen trees, finches and various other bird species can be found around the pond. You also find trash along the outskirts of the pond.

 

Based on your observations and knowledge gained in class, why would the dam-building animal be considered a keystone species?

 

   

Its actions reorganized the trophic hierarchy of the ecosystem, and without it, the system would experience catastrophic changes.

   

It is the apex predator, and without it, the population sizes of the native species would fluctuate until entire species are lost.

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