Blog #9
Title: Keystone Species
Author: Stephen C. Wagner
Date: 2010
Source: The Nature Education
URL: https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/keystone-species-15786127
The term keystone species first originated from an experiment Robert Paine did. He took out a species called Pisaster ochraceus from an ecosystem and also kept a control group. He found that without this species, there was a significant decrease in species diversity. A keystone species was then defined as a species that has a large role in the population and prevalence levels of other species within the same ecosystem or community. Keystone modifiers are species that dramatically alter the environment and in turn determine other species' way of life. Another example of a keystone species is the Gray Wolf. When this species' population decreased, the elk populations drastically increased, leading to overgrazing. With this overgrazing, there was declines in plant species, which caused the loss of habitat for many other animals. The reason the Gray Wolves are a keystone species is because their existence directly correlates to the lives of many other species.
Author: Stephen C. Wagner
Date: 2010
Source: The Nature Education
URL: https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/keystone-species-15786127
The term keystone species first originated from an experiment Robert Paine did. He took out a species called Pisaster ochraceus from an ecosystem and also kept a control group. He found that without this species, there was a significant decrease in species diversity. A keystone species was then defined as a species that has a large role in the population and prevalence levels of other species within the same ecosystem or community. Keystone modifiers are species that dramatically alter the environment and in turn determine other species' way of life. Another example of a keystone species is the Gray Wolf. When this species' population decreased, the elk populations drastically increased, leading to overgrazing. With this overgrazing, there was declines in plant species, which caused the loss of habitat for many other animals. The reason the Gray Wolves are a keystone species is because their existence directly correlates to the lives of many other species.
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