Keystone species are essential for the functioning and preservation of ecosystems. Despite their relatively low population numbers, these organisms impact the diversity and stability of their environment.
Their presence or absence can cause a chain reaction that affects other species and ecological processes. We can learn about the complex connections that hold ecosystems together by studying keystone species.
What are Keystone Species?
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A keystone species is an organism that has a greater influence on its environment than its population size. These species, which can include animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi, maintain the integrity of their habitat.
They act as the binding force that keeps an ecosystem intact. Without keystone species, ecosystems would undergo significant changes, potentially leading to the nonexistence of the ecosystem.
Types of Keystone Species
Keystone species are critical in ecosystems. They can be classified into predators, ecosystem engineers, and mutualists;
Predators
Predators regulate prey species’ populations, which, in turn, impacts the entire food web. Certain species known as keystone predators have a profound influence on the balance and structure of the entire ecosystem. These keystone predators, such as wolves, manage the numbers and distribution of their prey.
Through active hunting and population control of their prey, keystone predators prevent the prey species from becoming excessively abundant or spreading too widely. This regulation has a cascading effect throughout the food chain.
Keeping the prey population in check and limits their consumption of essential resources like food and habitat, affecting other species relying on those resources.
For example, if a prey species were to multiply unchecked, it would consume more vegetation or prey on smaller animals, depleting resources for other species and negatively impacting their survival and reproduction. This could lead to a decline or even extinction of certain species further down the food chain.
Moreover, the presence of keystone predators can influence the behaviour of other predators in the ecosystem. For instance, wolves can control the activities and movements of secondary predators like coyotes, indirectly benefiting other species negatively affected by these secondary predators’ presence.
However, the prey species’ population can explode when keystone predators are removed from the ecosystem due to human activities or other factors. Without the regulation of keystone predators, the prey species may rapidly increase in number and expand to new areas, potentially disrupting the ecosystem’s delicate balance.
Ecosystem Engineers
An ecosystem engineer is a vital organism that shapes and alters its environment. One prime example of a keystone engineer is the beaver, which operates within river ecosystems to create, modify, and impact habitats.
Beaver dams have a profound effect on the hydrology of river ecosystems. These dams redirect water, forming wetlands that serve as essential habitats for various plants and animals. These wetlands provide crucial functions, offering shelter, breeding grounds, and feeding areas for numerous species, including amphibians, birds, fish, and insects.
Additionally, wetlands contribute to water purification, enhancing the overall water quality within the ecosystem.
Beavers are renowned for their ability to fell old or dead trees along riverbanks to construct their dams. This activity triggers a ripple effect in the surrounding environment. As beavers fall trees, new and healthier trees grow, fostering biodiversity by providing more habitats and food sources for various organisms.
The engineering actions of beavers, encompassing dam building and wetland creation, have far-reaching consequences on the entire ecosystem. They mould the physical landscape and influence the distribution and abundance of other organisms.
The absence of beavers in a river ecosystem can reduce wetland habitats, negatively affecting the species dependent on them.
Mutualist
Keystone mutualists refer to two or more species that depend on each other for survival. These interdependent relationships are important, as the disturbance or loss of one species can lead to cascading effects on the other, ultimately impacting the entire ecosystem.
An excellent example of keystone mutualists is the relationship between pollinators and the plants they rely on for sustenance. For instance, Sunbirds are pollinators, relying on specific flowers for nectar, their primary food source. While feeding on nectar, Sunbirds inadvertently transfer pollen from one flower to another, facilitating plant reproduction.
Conversely, plants depend on these pollinators to transfer their pollen between the male and female reproductive organs of other flowers of the same species, a vital process known as pollination. Pollination is essential for plants to produce seeds and ensure successful reproduction.
The mutualistic bond between Sunbirds and their pollinating plants is essential for both parties. Sunbirds obtain a steady food supply, while plants benefit from the pollination services of Sunbirds. This relationship fosters plant diversity, as plant species rely on various pollinators.
The disruption or loss of the pollinator or plant species can significantly impact the ecosystem. A decline in Sunbird populations can lead to reduced plant reproduction, declining plant numbers and vice versa.
Examples Of Keystone species
Sea otters
Sea otters serve as a vital source of sustenance, protection, nursery environments, and hunting grounds for a wide range of marine life, including fish, marine mammals, and other species. However, they face the threat of predation from marine invertebrates.
Elephants
The African savanna elephant consumes substantial pounds of vegetation daily. These elephants act as ecosystem engineers by uprooting and feeding on small trees and shrubs. This behaviour prevents the conversion of these areas into forest or scrubland, creating sunny and open spaces where grasses can flourish.
The loss of these elephants could have devastating consequences for the delicate balance of the savanna ecosystem.
Bees
Bees and other pollinators support reproduction of a significant portion of the world’s flowering plants. They are keystone species, pollinating up to 90 per cent of these plants.
In addition to pollinating crops essential for human consumption and various purposes, bees also contribute to producing seeds, nuts, berries, and fruits for the survival of numerous other species in ecosystems worldwide.
Tropical rainforest
Trees in tropical forests are a central resource, providing sustenance to many species of birds, bats, and other organisms throughout the year, especially when alternative food sources are scarce.
Coral Reefs
Although not a single species, coral reefs are considered keystone ecosystems due to their high biodiversity and ecological importance, they provide habitat for countless marine species, protect coastlines from erosion, and support local economies through tourism and fishing.
