Keystone species also play important roles in many other ecosystems (Mills et al. 1993). For example, hummingbirds are sometimes referred to as keystone mutualists because they influence the ...

Keystone species are believed to be found in all the world’s major ecosystems. They include animals such as gray wolves, beavers, sea otters, and more.

Keystone Species Defined To put it simply, keystone species have a disproportionate impact on their ecosystems. If they were removed, an ecosystem would changed dramatically.

Keystone species, because of their proportionately large influence on species diversity and community structure, have become a popular target for conservation efforts.

Thanks to their impressive building skills, beavers are a keystone species—an animal whose activities support its entire ...

The concept of a “keystone species” goes back to the 1960s, when the then-fledgling ecologist Robert Paine decided to chuck a bunch of starfish into the Pacific Ocean.

State officials are investigating after numerous recent gopher tortoise deaths at a popular beach destination. According ...

Georgia’s new wildlife plan brings together habitat restoration, native planting and online tools to guide conservation across the state.

The fact that keystone species are context-dependent and that they vary in space and time is “missed in short-term studies,” Menge said. Still, Srivastava isn’t ready to discard the concept.

If a keystone species is removed from an ecosystem, the number of other species will decline. Starfish are a keystone species. The decline of this top predator, which normally controlled the ...

Ecologists today are working to refine what “keystone species” means and advocate for a more discerning application. With a more rigorous identification of keystone species, policymakers can better ...