Keystone Species

What happens to the savanna if elephants are not present?

• It becomes a forest.

• It becomes a desert.

• It becomes a lake.

• It becomes a mountain.

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A species form that supports an entire ecosystem.

• Keystone Species

• Herbivores

• Umbrella Species

• Predators

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What is a keystone species?

• A species that helps to hold an ecosystem together

• A species that lives in or around rocks

• Keys and stones have nothing to do with ecology

• A keystone isn't a living thing, it's just a stone

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Why are bees considered a keystone species?

• The honey they make supports the bear population

• They pollinate flowers that produce fruit which supports the ecosystem

• They sting when threatened

• They live in hives

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Why are some sharks considered a keystone species?

• Because they are a top predator

• They scare off smaller fish that may overgraze an area of sea grass

• They are tertiary consumers

• They are cartilaginous

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Which one of the following keystone examples is a keystone predator found in the tidal pools of northwestern North America and was the species that launched Robert Paine’s keystone species concept?

• starfish

• sea otters

• beavers

• wolves

• elephants

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Which one of the following keystone examples play a vital role in the health of coastal kelp forests?

• starfish

• sea otters

• beavers

• wolves

• elephants

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Based on the graph shown, how can you tell sea otters are a keystone species?

• as the sea otter population decreases, biodiversity increases

• as sea otter population increases, biodiversity increases

• changes in the sea otter population have little effect on biodiversity 

• the sea otter population dereases due to the presence of urchins

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What role do keystone species play in an ecosystem?

• They are the most abundant species in the ecosystem.

• They have a disproportionately large impact on their environment relative to their abundance.

• They are the largest predators in the ecosystem.

• They are the primary producers in the ecosystem.

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Which of the following is an example of a keystone species in a marine ecosystem?

• Coral

• Sea otter

• Seaweed

• Clownfish