Many gardeners know the key role milkweed (Asclepias) plays in bringing back declining numbers of monarch butterflies. But other species of Lepidoptera, other butterflies and moths need help, too.

MUNCIE, Ind. – Keystone species are plants, animals, or fungi that significantly impact the environment. When talking about plants, these species can be home to many native insects and other animals.

More than 50 years after Bob Paine’s experiment with starfish, hundreds of species have been pronounced “keystones” in their ecosystems. Has the powerful metaphor lost its mathematical meaning? Anne ...

What do bison, beaver, wolves and sea otters all have in common? They're keystone species. That means they have an outsized impact on their ecosystem. It took humans driving some of these to near ...

Ecologists have long understood food chains. The animal at the top, the prime predator in an ecosystem, was believed to be the most significant. That predator helped keep their prey in check. That ...

What is a keystone plant? Keystone species have a disproportionately large effect on the abundance and diversity of other species, like insects, in an ecosystem. Without keystone plants, the local ...

University of Delaware entomologist Doug Tallamy’s research has identified “keystone” plant species that make up the foundation of many U.S. ecosystems by producing food for native insects, thus ...

Salmon have always held a fascination for me that is difficult to express. They are, at the very least, majestic. I began my love affair with them 40 years ago when I learned to fly fish and tie flies ...

New research is causing the original keystone species, the ochre sea star Pisaster ochraceus, to lose some of its supposed ecosystem-controlling powers. Photo by Jeff Rotman/Alamy Stock Photo This ...

(Beyond Pesticides, January 28, 2020) In more bad news from the insect world, recent research reveals a precipitous decline in numbers of mayflies in territories where they have been historically ...

What do bison, beaver, wolves and sea otters all have in common? They're keystone species. That means they have an outsized impact on their ecosystem. It took humans driving some of these to near ...