Keystone Species

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Biodiversity Noun

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[by-oh-di-vur-si-tee]

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Biodiversity

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The variety of life in an ecosystem, including the number and abundance of different species within a particular region.

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Example: This diagram illustrates the three levels of biodiversity: genetic (variation within a species), species (variety of different species), and ecosystem (variety of habitats).

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Species Richness Noun

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[spee-sheez rich-ness]

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Species Richness

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A measurement of biodiversity that refers to the total number of different species living within a particular region or ecosystem.

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Example: This diagram shows two communities that both have three different types of species (a bird, a tree, a flower), demonstrating equal species richness.

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Ecosystem Noun

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[ee-koh-sis-tuhm]

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Ecosystem

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A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment, all functioning together as a single unit.

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Example: This diagram shows a business or social system, not a biological ecosystem of living organisms and their environment, making it incorrect for this science topic.

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Keystone Species Noun

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[kee-stohn spee-sheez]

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Keystone Species

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A species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure and health of an ecosystem, on which others depend.

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Example: This image shows a trophic pyramid, illustrating how energy flows through different levels of consumers in an ecosystem, but it does not explain a keystone species.

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Food Chain Noun

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[food chayn]

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Food Chain

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A linear model that shows the singular direction of energy flow from one organism to another in an ecosystem.

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Example: This diagram shows a food web, where arrows indicate the flow of energy from producers (plants) to consumers (animals), illustrating how multiple food chains are interconnected.

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Food Web Noun

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[food web]

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Food Web

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A complex model showing the interconnected feeding relationships between all the food chains within an ecosystem.

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Example: This diagram shows a food web, where arrows indicate the flow of energy from producers like grass to various consumers like mice, snakes, and eagles.

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Apex Predator Noun

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[ay-peks pred-uh-ter]

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Apex Predator

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A predator residing at the top of a food chain upon which no other creatures in the ecosystem prey.

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Example: This image shows several examples of apex predators, which are animals at the top of their food chain with no natural predators.

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Pollinator Noun

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[pol-uh-ney-ter]

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Pollinator

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An animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma, aiding in plant reproduction.

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Example: A pollinator, like this bee, is an animal that moves pollen from one flower to another, which is essential for plant reproduction and ecosystem health.

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Habitat Noun

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[hab-i-tat]

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Habitat

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The natural home or environment of an organism, which provides the resources it needs to survive, grow, and reproduce.

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Example: This image shows a woodland habitat, a place where many different plants and animals, such as deer, squirrels, and owls, live and find what they need to survive.

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Extinction Noun

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[ik-stingk-shuhn]

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Extinction

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The state or process of a species, family, or other group of organisms ceasing to exist anywhere on Earth.

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Example: This image shows various dinosaurs living in their habitat. The title suggests this is a scene before they became extinct, a well-known example of mass extinction.