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keystone species

   Also found in: Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
keystone species  (kstn)
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. Compare indicator species.


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It's a keystone species, so once you have an oyster reef, the other marine life comes back," says Drennan.
Fish and Wildlife Service should heed the advice of wildlife biologists and conservationists to stop wolf killing and removal at least until reintroduction goals are achieved, or tragically, this keystone species will become extinct.
Byline: ANI Washington, June 2 (ANI): A new research by zoologists has indicated that elevated water temperatures and heightened concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) can dramatically increase the growth rate of a keystone species of sea star.
 
 
 
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