Keystone species

Question 1

what is co-existence

Answer 1

Is the concept of organisms living together in the same ecosystem and affecting each other’s lifestyle.

Question 2

what are keystone species?

Answer 2

Are dominant predator species with a low abundance that has a large influence over lower trophic levels to allow the co-existence

Are species that have a disproportionately large influence over the biodiversity

Question 3

what happens if a keystone species removed

Answer 3

If removed from an ecosystem the biodiversity plummets

Question 4

how abundant are keystone species

Answer 4

keystone species are often not the most abundant species in an ecosystem

Question 5

how does a keystone species work

Answer 5

They prevent any one species from dominating the use of the resources. They control the amount of food or shelter that different organisms receive and help maintain the biodiversity of the region

Question 6

what roles do keystone species play

Answer 6

Keystone species play a role in -

• recycling nutrients
• aiding reproduction
• maintain high ecosystem productivity
• maintain biodiversity

Question 7

Discuss an example of a keystone species

Answer 7

An example of a keystone species the southern cassowary is a major seed dispenser with over 100 depending on it. When removed from an ecosystem plants cannot repopulate resulting in a drop in biodiversity.