Keystone species Flashcards
Define keystone species
Organisms that have a large impact on their community.
What is the impact on the community if the keystone species is present?
Stability of the system.
What happened to the intertidal community when the sea star, Pisaster ochraceus, was removed?
Since sea stars were in charge of maintaining the mussels, their removal caused mussel population to boom - mussels eventually outcompeted the other species.
What kind of interaction occurred between the sea star and the mussels
Sea stars preyed on mussels and allowed other species to thrive.
What kind of interaction occurred between the mussels and the other species?
Mussels competed with other species for resources.
Why is it hard to predict which species in a community is the keystone species?
Commuity complexity.
