some species have a larger effect on their environment than other species,

regardless of their numbers. Such species are called “keystone species.”

Why Are Keystone Species Important For The Environment?

The importance of keystone species lies in the way they affect other organisms
in the ecosystem. According to Paine’s description, their presence is crucial for
maintaining numbers and diversity of other species, which makes their role
exceptional in the ecosystem [1].
The removal of a keystone species from an ecosystem triggers a set of
negative changes. One such example is the overpopulation of one species,
which leads to disappearance of other species.
.

Quick Navigation for Keystone Species Examples

1. African elephants
2. Grizzly bears
3. Sharks
4. Sea otters
5. Krill
6. Beavers
7. Hummingbirds and Honey possums
8. Parrotfish
9. Prairie dogs
10. African termites
11. Woodpeckers
12. Saguaro cactus

African elephants – The oblivious creators

Elephants could be called engineers of African savanna. These great giants
are a keystone species because of their ability to completely transform a
landscape, bringing a variety of life alongside with them.
They shape their environment by pushing down trees, and eating small
shrubs, such as acacia, creating and maintaining Africa’s iconic grasslands.
This sustains grazing animals such as antelopes and zebras, as well as
smaller animals such as mice that burrow in the warm, dry soil of the savanna.
It also enables large predators like lions to have a bounty of prey to hunt [2].
It may seem that elephants leave behind a path of destruction by creating
corridors through woodlands and digging deep holes in the dry river beds, but
both of these actions are highly beneficial. Corridors prevent the spread of
wildfires and deep holes collect water for other animals.
Elephants are important for people as well (not for ivory). In fact, they save
lives!
They are vital distributors of seeds from the Balanite tree. Many parts of this
tree are used as famine food in some regions of Africa. Under normal
conditions, just a fraction of seeds (less than 15 percent) turns into mature
trees, but seeds digested by elephants are 50 percent more likely to start
growing [3].

Sadly, elephants an iconic keystone species of African savanna are also on

the list of endangered species, possibly facing extinction as soon as 2025.

Grizzly bears – The diligent gourmets

The main reason why grizzlies are on the list of keystone animals is because
they enrich the forest floor with nutrients from salmon carcasses. When bears
feed on salmon, they often drag fish deep into the forest. Leftover carcasses
from their grand feast fertilize forest soil with nitrogen and phosphorus, and
support growth of strong and healthy trees.
On contrary to their reputation of a scary predator, the role of grizzlies in their
ecosystem is more of a gardener. When digging for roots and bulbs to eat,
bears turn over large areas of soil in mountainous terrain. This aerates soils
and mixes in organic material, enhancing growth of many different wildflowers.
Additionally, numerous seeds of berries and pine nuts get distributed through
their feces [4].
Grizzlies also regulate the numbers of several prey species, like moose and
elk. They maintain healthy populations of these species by hunting the weak
individuals, or scavenging on carcasses and “cleaning” up the forest.
Sharks – The cleaning commando
For the past 400 million years, the ocean health has depended on sharks more
than on any other marine predator. Sharks prey on the sick and weak
members of other fish populations, and some also scavenge the sea floor to
feed on dead carcasses. As such, their feeding habits help prevent the spread
of diseases and regulate the size of fish populations [5].
Without sharks, the whole marine ecosystem would get out of balance, as
some species would overpopulate and outcompete other, possibly even driving
them to extinction. So despite their bad reputation, sharks as a key predator
are actually the most important keystone species in the ocean.

Sea otters – The underwater forest rangers

This second smallest marine mammal that inhabits the waters of the Pacific
Northwest is the key to stabilizing the coastal marine ecosystem. More
specifically, sea otters feed on sea urchins, and in doing so, they control their
population.
If urchin populations grew too large, they would eat the kelp that grows in the
same habitat. Kelp – a giant seaweed – is a major source of food
and shelter for numerous other species, such as crabs, snails, and geese.
Many fish species also use kelp forests as their hiding spot from predators.
Kelp forests are not only valuable for marine species but also for us. They
reduce coastal erosion by slowing down the impact of water on the shore, and
play a role even in the mitigation of climate change, as their capacity to absorb
carbon dioxide is astounding. According to scientists, healthy kelp
forests sequester billions of kilograms of carbon from the atmosphere.
Krill – The nutrient couriers
Krill is a nice example that size does not always matter when it comes to being
a keystone species. Even at the bottom of the food chain, krill has an
irreplaceable role in the marine ecosystem as a carrier of nutrients.
These tiny crustaceans feed on phytoplankton, which is incredibly rich in life-
promoting nutrients such as amino acids, antioxidants, carotenoids,
bioflavinoids and omega-3,6 fatty acids [6].
Being the staple food of a whale diet, krill becomes their essential source of
these rich nutrients. And not only for whales. Krill is eaten by seals, penguins,
squid, fish, and has a long history of being harvested even for human
consumption, especially in Norway [7].
Beavers – Two beavers are better than one
In many areas, beavers were hunted to extinction for their fur and to prevent
the alteration of the landscape, because they can quickly divert or block
streams. While in the past this behavior was considered harmful, we know now
that by building natural dams on rivers and creating wetlands, beavers provide
habitats for other wildlife and ideal spawning grounds for numerous species of
fish like trout and salmon.
In fact, without beaver dams we would not have healthy salmon populations!
Beaver dams trap fine sediment, letting only clean water pass through, which
creates perfect conditions for salmon eggs downstream.
The service beavers do for the environment does not end with providing
suitable habitat to other species. It is also the creation of wetlands that has an
incredible value. Wetlands play a critical role in naturally removing pollutants
from water and absorbing carbon more effectively than forests.
So, it seems that unlike our destructive interventions into the environment,
beavers actually alter the landscape to bring more life and boost ecosystem
services. Perhaps we are the ones to learn from them instead of prohibiting
them from doing their work.
Read more about Beavers as a Keystone Species.

Hummingbirds and Honey Possums – The controversial couple

What does the tiniest bird of Americas and the Australian marsupial have in
common? Both are a keystone species and both are the key pollinators to the
unique vegetation in their area.
In the forests of Patagonia, a hummingbird species called Sephanoides
sephanoides pollinates on its own nearly 20% of the local woody flora. In fact,
many plants in the area can only be pollinated by hummingbirds. If these birds
disappeared, the diversity of vegetation would decline and some species
would possibly go extinct [8].
Similarly, honey possums are crucial pollinators of banksia trees, bridle bush
and other shrubs of kwongan – the unique eco-region in Southwest of
Australia. Kwongan is one of the global biodiversity hotspots with high
numbers of endemic species that are endangered by habitat loss. While
feeding on nectar, honey possums collect pollen on their snouts and carry it to
other plants. The possum foraging activity secures healthy re-growth of
vegetation, and therefore, protects this rare habitat for other animal
species [9,10].
Parrotfish – The coral reef janitors
Parrotfish is one of the main caretakers of coral reefs. Every day this fish visits
coral reefs and feeds on algae and coral branches, removing dead pieces and
cleaning the coral surface. In fact, a single fish can consume up to 4,500 kg of
material every year [11]. By being such a good eater, parrotfish prevents algal
proliferation in the reefs.
It is very important to keep algae species at check, because once algae
dominate the reef, the healthy balance of coral reefs is irreversibly
disrupted [12]. Under extreme conditions, invasive algae might even kill corals,
destroying the habitat of nearly 25 percent of all marine species [13].

Prairie dogs – The lifestyle influencers

Like the elephants in savanna, prairie dogs shape the face of prairie by
affecting the plant composition and distribution of water in the landscape.
Being herbivores, prairie dogs feed on grasses and they do an amazing job in
trimming them down. This allows other plant species to share the same
habitat. Higher plant diversity attracts various insects, birds and wildlife.
Prairie dogs even alter the water cycle in dry conditions. When keeping the
vegetation low, the plant surface from where water evaporates during hot days
is reduced. Lower amount of water lost through evaporation equals more
moisture in the soil and the area remains greener for longer periods of time.
The network of burrows that prairie dog colonies create also serves multiple
purposes. It encourages water infiltration into underground aquifers, aerates
soils, distributes nutrients and even provides shelter to other small wildlife [14].
African termites – The quiet skyscraper builders
Some animals even take advantage of the termite homes to raise their young
because of the safety they offer. For example, mongoose and barbets build
their nests inside.
Termite mounds are not only attracting free tenants, they also offer nutritionally
rich ground for many plant species, even trees. According to scientific
observations, Acacia trees are more likely to reproduce when in proximity to
termite mounds. It is because the mounds contain high levels of nitrogen,
phosphorus and important micronutrients such as iron or zinc [15].
So, it may not be directly the termites themselves who draw the diverse life in
savanna together, but their mound building activity and nutrient accumulation
certainly does.

Woodpeckers – The bird carpenters

Woodpeckers, also referred to as tree surgeons, live mostly a solitary life, but
through their hard work they affect many other species. By excavating holes in
trees, they create nests for numerous animals like bats, small owls, swallows,
wood ducks and many more. All these creatures are dependent on
woodpecker activity because they cannot make holes in hard tree trunks on
their own. Abandon woodpecker nests provide much safer and sturdier shelter
to them when compared to naturally created openings in trunks.
Besides “building” cozy accommodation units for other forest dwellers,
woodpeckers also control insect populations. Their beaks can reach larvae in
places other birds cannot access, and once they are finished scavenging, the
excavated dents in wood leave remaining prey exposed to other species.
Woodpeckers are truly important for the health of the forest all year long, as
they feed on some of the most destructive forest pests such as bark beetles
and wood-boring beetles, and since they are not migratory, they keep
populations of these pests at check even during the long winter months [16].
Saguaro cactus – More than just a western movie background
Who would have guessed that a cactus plant mostly connected with the
popularized images of desert landscape actually sustains a lot of lives?
Saguaros, the tallest plants of the desert, offer perfect nesting opportunity for
many birds. Bigger birds, such as red-tailed hawks, nest between branches,
and smaller ones such as gila woodpeckers, purple martins, and elf owls
create nests inside the fleshy stem.
At the same time, the juicy fruits of this plant ripen during the dry summer
months and become the only moist food source for animals in that time of the
year [17].

There are more…

The last example of saguaro cactus as a keystone plant in the desert is just a
tiny tap into the world of keystone food resources.