Question

Give an example of a keystone species and what can happen if it is removed or leaves and ecosystem

Answer 1

An example of a keystone species is the sea otter. Sea otters are crucial for maintaining the health of kelp forests in coastal ecosystems. They feed on sea urchins, which graze on kelp. If sea otters were to be removed or leave an ecosystem, the population of sea urchins would increase rapidly, leading to overgrazing of kelp forests. This, in turn, would cause the destruction of the kelp forests, resulting in a loss of habitat for numerous other species that rely on them for shelter and food. The entire ecosystem could collapse as a result of the removal of this keystone species.