Keystone species

keystone species

1. KEYSTONE SPECIES PRESENTED BY: BIBIN MATHEW, 2 ND M. Sc. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF KERALA.

2. The concept of the keystone species was introduced in 1969  by  Robert T Paine .  Starfish – keystone predator and  Mussels – keystone prey

3. KEYSTONE SPECIES   Keystone species   is a  species  that has a disproportionately large effect on its  natural environment  relative to its abundance.   Plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community. Helps to determine the types and numbers of various other species in the community. Without keystone species, the ecosystem will be different It can be any organism. Commonly it’s a predator.

4. In general keystone species is a predator that prevents a particular herbivorous species from eliminating dominant plant species.

5. Types of keystone species 1) Herbivores 2) Mutualist 3) Predators

6. HERBIVORES Their consumption of plants helps control the physical and biological aspects of an ecosystem. In African savannas, Elephants are the keystone species. Elephants eat shrubs and small trees, such as acacia.  Even if an acacia tree grows to a height of a meter or more, elephants are able to knock it over and uproot it. This feeding behavior keeps the savanna a grassland and not a forest or woodland. 

7. MUTUALISTS Two or more species that engage in mutually beneficial interactions. A change in one species would impact the other, and change the entire ecosystem. In the woody grasslands of Patagonia,  hummingbird and indigenous plants act together as keystone mutualists . Humming bird pollinates the plant.  These plants provide the sugary nectar that makes up most of the hummingbird’s diet. 

8. PREDATOR: (CARNIVORES) It can control the distribution and population of large number of species.  STARFISH -Predator Mussels and Barnacles -Prey

9. YELLOW STONE NATIONAL PARK Elk, Bison, Rabbit- PREY GREY WOLF- PREDATOR

10. YELLOW STONE NATIONAL PARK

11. CONCLUSION Integral part of ecosystem. Conservation and restoration of keystone species is essential for maintaining and re establishing the ecosystem.

12. REFERENCES https://biologydictionary.net/keystone-species/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_T._Paine_(zoologist) https://cals.arizona.edu/research/redsquirrel/res_pdf/HaleKoprowski2018RestEcolKeystoneSppReintroductions.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_species https://greentumble.com/12-examples-of-keystone-species/ https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/keystone-species/

13. Thank you