Biology / Bio 3677 · Atom · ~20 seconds
Keystone Species
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A keystone species exerts a community-wide effect disproportionate to its abundance, so that its removal collapses community structure other species depend on.
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Removing sea otters lets urchin populations explode and consume kelp forests that had sheltered dozens of other species.
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A keystone species is defined by disproportionate impact, not by being the community's most abundant or largest member.