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Post by Ms. Duncan on Apr 17, 2018 1:22:24 GMT
Chapter 41 discusses the role of keystone species. A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on a community relative to its abundance. In our area, the Texas prairie dog is a keystone species. Prairie dog colonies create habitats for other species, as some animals use their burrows as homes. The burrows also aerate and fertilize soil, which allows a diversity of plants to thrive.
What are some other examples of animals that are keystone species and what benefits do they offer to other members of their communities?
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Post by abbywillis on Apr 18, 2018 19:40:15 GMT
One example of a keystone species is the sea otters that live in the kelp Forrest. They prey on sea urchins and other small invertebrate to balance out the coastline. If otters did not exists then the large kelp would not survive long and many fish and other animals that feed on the kelp would die off quickly.Also, the kelp Forrest absorbs harmful carbon dioxide from our environment and protects the coastline from harmful storm surges. Another example of a keystone specie is hummingbirds. These tiny birds export pollen to many different areas. Without them vegetation diversity would decline and some plants would go extinct.
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Post by jasholguin on Apr 19, 2018 2:33:17 GMT
An example of a keystone species are bees. They are one of the main sources for pollination, which is highly important to the world because it provides resources such as a source of food, along with a habitat for some animals. Without bees to pollinate the rate for both seed production and the population number would decrease for the next seasons growing period. Competing for limited resources would then occur between animals that depend on them like some birds, frogs, insects, and more. This is harmful because those animals that depend on these plants would lose their source of food and habitats, we would lose our source of oxygen, and life would not be able to exist without plants. Another benefit bees offer is cross pollination, this helps maintain the diversity in the plant community which is a key factor in the overall ecosystem health.
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Post by felicitybeltran on Apr 29, 2018 23:08:42 GMT
One example of keystone species would be Sea stars. They prey on mussels and keep the amount that the eat just right for them. Too many mussels will crowd out other species, and since mussels have no other natural predators, sea stars are invaluable for keeping the ecosystem diverse. star fish help the environment by getting rid of bacteria.
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Post by Michala Johnson on Apr 30, 2018 15:31:50 GMT
An example of a keystone specie is the Alligator, alligators use their tails to make burrows to stay warm and when they move on, these burrows fill with water which is used by other species. Alligators are also predators, keeping the numbers of other species in check.
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