Keystone Species by Spencer Phelps https://padlet.com/dia11080/KeystoneSpecies en-us 2017-11-26 10:00:40 UTC 2017-11-27 04:36:18 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Folder.png Definition: dia11080 https://padlet.com/dia11080/KeystoneSpecies/wish/210117379 A species whose presence and role within an ecosystem has a disproportionate effect on other organisms within the system. A keystone species is often a dominant predator whose removal allows a prey population to explode and often decreases overall diversity. Other kinds of keystone species are those, such as coral or beavers, that significantly alter the habitat around them and thus affect large numbers of other organisms.]]> 2017-11-26 10:15:21 UTC https://padlet.com/dia11080/KeystoneSpecies/wish/210117379 Examples: dia11080 https://padlet.com/dia11080/KeystoneSpecies/wish/210117467
  • American alligator: Alligators use their tails to make burrows to stay warm and when they move on, these burrows fill with water which is used by other species. Alligators are also predators, keeping the numbers of other species in check.
  • Beavers: Beavers are considered habitat engineers because they change the environment by building dams. This dam building provides still water in which many species flourish.
  • Bees: By pollinating plants, bees contribute to their survival. The plants are shelter for insects, which are then eaten by other species, like birds.


    • ]]>     2017-11-26 10:16:14 UTC https://padlet.com/dia11080/KeystoneSpecies/wish/210117467     Impacts of the removal of keystone species from an ecosystem: dia11080 https://padlet.com/dia11080/KeystoneSpecies/wish/210117657 A keystone species is an organism that helps define an entire ecosystem. Without its keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether. The ecosystem would be forced to radically change, allowing new and possibly invasive species to populate the habitat.]]> 2017-11-26 10:17:53 UTC https://padlet.com/dia11080/KeystoneSpecies/wish/210117657 Factors that cause the removal of keystone species: dia11080 https://padlet.com/dia11080/KeystoneSpecies/wish/210118959
  • Deforestation
  • Global warming
  • Poaching
  • Natural disasters
  • Excessive hunting

    • ]]>     2017-11-26 10:30:34 UTC https://padlet.com/dia11080/KeystoneSpecies/wish/210118959     Prairie Dogs: dia11080 https://padlet.com/dia11080/KeystoneSpecies/wish/210119506 By eating grass, prairie dogs keep water in the soil instead of the water evaporating from the leaves of plants. By tunneling, they help channel rainwater into the water table. By burrowing, they mix different layers of soil, combine it with their droppings, and aerate the soil. This will help nearby plants grow and expand. The Prairie dog is very important as a keystone species to its ecosystem, since it's many features listed above defines it as a modifier species. The Prairie dog's diet is known to be mostly grass, roots and seeds, however they sometimes eat insects. The Prairie dog is preyed upon by mainly foxes, coyotes and eagles.]]> 2017-11-26 10:35:57 UTC https://padlet.com/dia11080/KeystoneSpecies/wish/210119506 dia11080 https://padlet.com/dia11080/KeystoneSpecies/wish/210251517 2017-11-27 04:05:40 UTC https://padlet.com/dia11080/KeystoneSpecies/wish/210251517