Keystone Species
Keystone Species
A keystone species is a plant or animal that plays a unique and crucial role in the way an ecosystem function. Without keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether. All species in an ecosystem, or habitat, rely on each other. The contributions of a keystone species are large compared to the species' prevalence in the habitat. Nevertheless, a small number of keystone species can have a huge impact on the environment. A keystone species is often, but not always, a predator. Just a few predators can control the distribution and population of large numbers of prey species.
1. HONEY BEES
Honey bees are keystone species in their environment. We all know that honey bees are involved in the process of pollination which is one of the primary ways plants reproduce. Honey bees are responsible for the movement pollen from one flower to another as they gather nectar. Honey bees also exchange pollen with other honey bees back at the hive as they bump into each other. The pollen that is exchanged in the hive often comes from completely different plants. As the bees then return to the foraging area, they distribute this pollen, which can lead to the process of cross-pollination.
Cross-pollination helps to maintain the genetic diversity of the plant community in the ecosystem. In ecology, this concept is referred as biodiversity. Biodiversity is a key measurement of overall ecosystem health. In other words, a healthy ecosystem will have many different species and a high level of genetic diversity. Likewise, an unhealthy ecosystem will have few species and a low level of genetic diversity. The honey bee is not only responsible for assisting in the process of plant reproduction but also helps to maintain and even increase the genetic diversity of their ecosystem. Honey bees are directly connected to pollination and cross-pollination, but they are also indirectly connected to many other species in their ecosystem.
Some plants would not be pollinated which means there would be lower rates of seed production for those plants. As seed production decreases, so too do population numbers for the next growing season. If the overall number of individual trees and plants decrease, the number of homes and the amount of food for so many species also decreases. Birds, insects, lizards, frogs, squirrels, and so many others are all competing for the same homes and food. Certainly some of these individuals will not be able to adapt to the new competitive standard of their shrinking neighborhood. These individuals will become stressed and maybe even die. If we look just a bit closer we will see that even a mammal like a bat would suffer in this scenario. The bat feeds on insects, some of which feed on the soft green leaves of plants. When the plant population declines, some insect populations will also decline and the food resource of the bat could decline as well. If the food resource of the bat declines the bat population will begin to decline as well. This series of events was all kicked off by the removal or loss of the honey bees.
Some scientists predict a 50% loss of plant species as a result of the extinction of the honey bee. It is impossible to project the ripple effect that would result from that level of loss across an ecosystem, but it is easy to say that the overall health of the ecosystem would decline.
The jaguar (Panthera onca), is a wild cat species and the only extant member of the genus Panthera native to the Americas. The jaguar's present range extends from Southwestern United States and Mexico across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Though there are single cats now living within the western United States, the species has largely been extirpated from the United States since the early 20th century.
The jaguar is the largest cat species in the Americas and the third-largest after the tiger and the lion. This spotted cat closely resembles the leopard, but is usually larger and sturdier. It ranges across a variety of forested and open terrains, but its preferred habitat is tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest, swamps and wooded regions. The jaguar enjoys swimming and is largely a solitary, opportunistic, stalk-and-ambush predator at the top of the food chain. As a keystone species it plays an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating prey populations.
Jaguars eat a large variety of animals. Many of these animals are herbivores. Over 85 species have been reported in the diet of jaguars. Preferred prey are large animals, such as peccaries, tapirs, and deer. They also prey on caimans, turtles, snakes, porcupines, capybaras, fish, large birds, and many other animals. Jaguars typically attack prey by pouncing on them from a concealed spot. They either deliver a direct bite to the neck and then suffocate their prey, or they instantly kill them by piercing the back of the skull with their canines. Their powerful jaws and canines allow them to get through thick reptilian skin and turtle carapaces. Jaguars then drag their prey to a secluded spot where they eat them.
Jaguars eat a large variety of animals. Many of these animals are herbivores. Over 85 species have been reported in the diet of jaguars. Preferred prey are large animals, such as peccaries, tapirs, and deer. They also prey on caimans, turtles, snakes, porcupines, capybaras, fish, large birds, and many other animals. Jaguars typically attack prey by pouncing on them from a concealed spot. They either deliver a direct bite to the neck and then suffocate their prey, or they instantly kill them by piercing the back of the skull with their canines. Their powerful jaws and canines allow them to get through thick reptilian skin and turtle carapaces. Jaguars then drag their prey to a secluded spot where they eat them.
All in all, if the populations of those animals were growing big, they would deplete the plant life in their habitat. Jaguars control the number of herbivores, which in turn balances plant growth. As a keystone species, jaguars keep their ecosystem balanced.
Mountain lions are a keystone species that enrich ecosystem by playing a vital role such as being at the top of the food chain because it keeps the population down. Mountain lions only appear in forest up in the mountains but they still have a large effect in the area they live. These predators cover large areas and influence many species.
Scavengers are affected by the mountain lion’s activity. The mountain lions affected the other predator living habitat so they don’t get close to their path. Thus, they also affect vultures' flying path. Vultures fly according to the mountain lions' route because they want to follow the lion and eat off of the leftover prey.
Animals such as deer and rabbits are the prey of the lions. Since the preys are supernumerary, the mountain lions help to keep down, control and stabilize the population of deer and rabbits. Without the mountain lion, the deer population would expand greatly and there would be nothing to keep that population down.
Parrotfish have thick, heavy bodies and large scales. They are found in tropical waters throughout the world and appear in a wide variety of colors, which may change depending on their sex, status, or maturity. Parrotfish got their name from a fused-beak structure, like a parrot. There are several types of parrotfish, which are rainbow parrotfish and midnight parrotfish. Parrotfish are generally social and may be found in schools of around 40 individuals. Usually, the supermale (an adult breeding male) leads these schools. Supermales are typically sex-reversed females and are strongly territorial and habitually drive other males away from their areas.
A parrotfish’s diet is primarily algae. They use their beak to pulverize coral to reach the algae filled polyps hiding in the coral reefs. The food they consume, the sand, is actually ground-up, undigested remains of coral. Schools of parrotfish graze over a reef much like a herd of cattle over a grassy field. Large amounts of calcareous materials are consumed and excreted by schools of parrotfish. In just one year, one parrotfish may convert a ton of coral into sand.
3. MOUNTAIN LION
Mountain lions are a keystone species that enrich ecosystem by playing a vital role such as being at the top of the food chain because it keeps the population down. Mountain lions only appear in forest up in the mountains but they still have a large effect in the area they live. These predators cover large areas and influence many species.
Scavengers are affected by the mountain lion’s activity. The mountain lions affected the other predator living habitat so they don’t get close to their path. Thus, they also affect vultures' flying path. Vultures fly according to the mountain lions' route because they want to follow the lion and eat off of the leftover prey.
4. PARROTFISH
Parrotfish have thick, heavy bodies and large scales. They are found in tropical waters throughout the world and appear in a wide variety of colors, which may change depending on their sex, status, or maturity. Parrotfish got their name from a fused-beak structure, like a parrot. There are several types of parrotfish, which are rainbow parrotfish and midnight parrotfish. Parrotfish are generally social and may be found in schools of around 40 individuals. Usually, the supermale (an adult breeding male) leads these schools. Supermales are typically sex-reversed females and are strongly territorial and habitually drive other males away from their areas.
Every day this fish visits coral reefs and feeds on algae and coral branches, removing dead pieces and cleaning the coral surface. In fact, a single fish can consume up to 4,500 kg of material every year. By being such a good eater, parrotfish prevents algal proliferation in the reefs.
It is very important to keep algae species at check, because once algae dominate the reef, the healthy balance of coral reefs is irreversibly disrupted. Under extreme conditions, invasive algae might even kill corals, destroying the habitat of nearly 25 percent of all marine species.
Sea otters are a classic example of a keystone species; their presence affects the ecosystem more profoundly than their size and numbers would suggest. They keep the population of certain benthic (sea floor) herbivores, particularly sea urchins, in check. Sea urchins graze on the lower stems of kelp, causing the kelp to drift away and die. Loss of the habitat and nutrients provided by kelp forests leads to profound cascade effects on the marine ecosystem. North Pacific areas that do not have sea otters often turn into urchin barrens, with abundant sea urchins and no kelp forest. Kelp forests are extremely productive ecosystems. Kelp forests sequester (absorb and capture) CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. Sea otters may help mitigate effects of climate change by their cascading trophic influence.
, tapirs, and deer. They also prey on caimans, turtles, snakes, porcupines, capybaras, fish, large birds, and many other animals. Jaguars typically attack prey by pouncing on them from a concealed spot. They either deliver a direct bite to the neck and then suffocate their prey, or they instantly kill them by piercing the back of the skull with their canines. Their powerful jaws and canines allow them to get through thick reptilian skin and turtle carapaces. Jaguars then drag their prey to a secluded spot where they eat them. over 85 species have been reported in the diet of jaguars. Preferred prey are large animals, such as peccaries, tapirs, and deer. They also prey on caimans, turtles, snakes, porcupines, capybaras, fish, large birds, and many other animals. Jaguars typically attack prey by pouncing on them from a concealed spot. They either deliver a direct bite to the neck and then suffocate their prey, or they instantly kill them by piercing the back of the skull with their canines. Their powerful jaws and canines allow them to get through thick reptilian skin and turtle carapaces. Jaguars then drag their prey to a secluded spot where they eat them.over 85 species have been reported in the diet of jaguars. Preferred prey are large animals, such as peccaries, tapirs, and deer. They also prey on caimans, turtles, snakes, porcupines, capybaras, fish, large birds, and many other animals. Jaguars typically attack prey by pouncing on them from a concealed spot. They either deliver a direct bite to the neck and then suffocate their prey, or they instantly kill them by piercing the back of the skull with their canines. Their powerful jaws and canines allow 5. SEA OTTER
Sea otters are a classic example of a keystone species; their presence affects the ecosystem more profoundly than their size and numbers would suggest. They keep the population of certain benthic (sea floor) herbivores, particularly sea urchins, in check. Sea urchins graze on the lower stems of kelp, causing the kelp to drift away and die. Loss of the habitat and nutrients provided by kelp forests leads to profound cascade effects on the marine ecosystem. North Pacific areas that do not have sea otters often turn into urchin barrens, with abundant sea urchins and no kelp forest. Kelp forests are extremely productive ecosystems. Kelp forests sequester (absorb and capture) CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. Sea otters may help mitigate effects of climate change by their cascading trophic influence.
Reintroduction of sea otters to British Columbia has led to a dramatic improvement in the health of coastal ecosystems, and similar changes have been observed as sea otter populations recovered in the Aleutian and Commander Islands and the Big Sur coast of California However, some kelp forest ecosystems in California have also thrived without sea otters, with sea urchin populations apparently controlled by other factors. The role of sea otters in maintaining kelp forests has been observed to be more important in areas of open coast than in more protected bays and estuaries.
Sea otters will affect rocky ecosystems that are dominated by mussel beds by removing mussels from rocks. This allows space for competing species and increases species diversity.
Sea otters will a
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