Keystone Species

2169 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ecological importance of sea otters

Keystone species maintain ecological communities by providing structure and balance for their habitat. The concept behind a keystone species is that they support species diversity through their presence, activities and abundance within the community (Mills et.al. 1993). If a disturbance happens within the community and the keystone species disappears, the organization and diversity drastically shifts. To be defined as a keystone species, there are a few characteristics a species must demonstrate. The first is that their presence within the community must help structure and assist the diversity of their community (Mills et.al. 1993). The second is that they must have some importance to their community in relation to the other species who live there (Mills et.al 1993). The keystone species are at the top of the community structure, with few, if any, predators. They control the population density of the primary consumer who consumes the primary producer (Mills et.al. 1993). Sea otters, which typically live in tidal areas off the western coasts of the United States and Alaska, are a common example of a widely studied keystone species.
Sea otters, or Enhydra lutris, are keystone species to kelp forests because of their importance in maintaining the food web structure. They are top marine predators that are easy to observe because they live close to the shore (Laidre and Jameson 2006). Sea otters have low reproductive rates and have fragile dispersal capabilities (Estes et.al. 1982). They are classified as carnivores. Their average diet consists of benthic invertebrates such as sea urchins, turban snails, red urchins, bivalves and chitons (Duggins 1980). Sea otters typically have an up to thirty percent daily nutritional requirement of...

... middle of paper ...

...ry Regions between Kelp Beds and Deforested Areas. Ecology. 84:174-185.

Kvitek, A., J. Oliver, A. DeGange et. al. 1992. Changes in Alaskan Soft-Bottom Prey Communities Along a Gradient in Sea Otter Predation. Ecological Society of America. 73:413-428.

Laidre, K., R. Jameson and J. Jameson. 2006. Foraging Patterns and Prey Selection in an Increasing and Expanding Sea Otter Population. Journal of Mammalogy. 87:799-807.

Mills, L., M. Solué and D. Doak. 1993. The Keystone-Species concept in Ecology and Conservation. BioScience. 43:219-224.

Reisewitz, S., J. Estes and C. Simenstad et al. 2006. Indirect Food Web Interactions: Sea Otters and Kelp Forest Fishes in the Aleutian Archipelago. Oecologia. 146:623-631.

Williams, T., J. Estes, D. Doak et al. 2004. Killer Appetites: Assessing the Role of Predators in Ecological Communities. 2004. Ecology. 85:3373-3384.

Show More
Related

  • The Misrepresentation of Pit Bulls in the Media

    1520 Words  | 4 Pages

    Deborah L. Duffy, Yuying Hsu, James A. Serpell ,Applied Animal Behavior Science - 1 December 2008 (Vol. 114, Issue 3, Pages 441-460, DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2008.04.006)

    Read More

  • Kelp Research Paper

    593 Words  | 2 Pages

    For example the canopies of kelp provide shelter for many organisms . Because the kelp is able to float, it creates a canopy. This canopy has warm temperatures and slow water currents, providing a home to defenseless young. This is important because the kelp is able to protect many organisms from predators and rough storms (6). Kelp is also the base of the food chain. Since kelp is the base of the food chain many organisms eat kelp and other animals eat them.This is important because without the kelp all the primary consumers would starve having no other food source (5). Finally each part of kelp is home to a different species. Because each part of kelp is home to a different species, many species breed in them. This is important because if the kelp where gone there would be no place for the organisms to breed downsizing their population (4). Overall kelp is providing food and shelter to many

    Read More

  • The Trouble with Omnivores Explained in Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma

    1383 Words  | 3 Pages

    I am very tempted to try the new food since it might taste good, but on the other hand it may not taste good and may even give me a stomach-ache or food poisoning. The final decision when trying a new food usually depends on how it looks. In Rozin’s studies, he observed these two emotions in rats. The rats would nibble on the new food and wait to see if it affected them negatively, learning not to eat it if it hurt them. Pollan believed that Rozin’s work on the “omnivoral problem” would explain how animals select food and “adaptations in primates as well as a wide range of otherwise baffling cultural practices in humans” (Pollan 289)....

    Read More

  • Living on Corn in the US

    1328 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gardner, Christopher. Notes from the Doc Talks. Stanford University. Web. April 10, 2014. Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York:

    Read More

  • Sessile Consumer

    396 Words  | 1 Pages

    In conducting my research, I observed activity on a rocky shore off the coast of Washington in the Northwest United States (workbook). This environment inhabits 10 species in shallow water nearly on top of each other. Each species helps form a complicated ecosystem where species protect, consume, and compete for space with other species. Out of the 10 species there are three producers, three sessile consumers (otherwise known as filter feeders), and four mobile consumers- one of which is an invasive species. In this environment the producers are Nori Seaweed (Porphyra), Black Pine (Neorhodomela), and Coral Weed (Corallina). Producers make their own food through sunlight, so only have predators and competition for space. Coral Weed is the strongest

    Read More

  • Impact of Sea Otters on Community Ecology

    1490 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are marine mammals capable of spending their entire lives in water. Being carnivorous in nature, they feed on sea urchins, crabs, fishes, mussels and clams. They are referred to as keystone species due to their profound impact on marine ecology. The interaction between sea otters, sea urchins and kelp forests has been studied as a model for the impact of predator-prey interactions on community ecology. Sea otters are keystone predators, whose presence has a far-reaching influence on the marine food web by affecting the populations of sea urchins, which indirectly affects the populations of kelp forests & other marine organisms. There has been a steep decline in sea otter populations due to water pollution and exploitation for furs. This has affected marine ecology adversely. It is therefore suggested that sea otters should be included in the endangered species list to protect them from further exploitation. This study focuses on the community ecology of sea otters and their impact on marine ecology. The need for their inclusion in the Endangered Species list and the implications of such an intervention are also evaluated.

    Read More

  • Sea Otters Research Paper

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    This year they are listed under the endangered species act and has today 78 killer whales left. The factors that could be contributed to such a rapid change in the size of sea otter population is stop hunting sea otter down and killing them and selling them to fur traders.That is the big thing in the otter decline people from 1800 to 1900 hunted and sold them all time for there fur. killer Whales have a taste for sea otters and the sea lion and seals short in supply in the northern pacific. Killer whales are feeding on otters because of the absents of their prey. The lost of sea otters have effect on organism is Alaska’s sea otters decline the affects health of kelp forests and diet of eagles. Sea otters play a private part by keeping the kelp forest a healthy balance. By eating sea urchins-- the biggest threat to kelps forests--sea otters control sea urchins numbers and kept the ecosystem in balance. This ensured that these underwater plants could thrive and reach their maximum height of 250 ft.The sharp drop in sea otter numbers in this island chain of alaska is the predation level. killer whales need 61.54 kcal/male otters and kcal needed is 308000 kcal

    Read More

  • The Omnivore's Dilemmas By Michael Pollan

    1015 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...his builds a relationship between the two causing the predator to consume its meat without looking away (Pollan 307). This causes that person to no want to know what they are eating because people are used to not knowing what they are eating.

    Read More

  • Deforestation of The Pacific Northwest

    1206 Words  | 3 Pages

    The preservation of any species that contributes to the biodiversity of an area. In an ecosystem, the absence of one species creates unfavorable conditions for the others. The. The absence of the spotted owl could have a significant effect on the North Coast forest ecosystems. In order to send the owl population to the right.

    Read More

  • Aggression In Crayfish Essay

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    All animals employ a vast array of behaviors that contribute to their ability to find resources, increase their chances of utilizing them efficiently, and therefore increase their overall fitness. One of the behaviors observed extensively throughout the animal kingdom to accomplish these tasks is aggression. Agonist conflict and aggressive behavior occurs both between species and within species. Curiously, within-species agonism is common in many animals because it can manipulate social hierarchies which can affect the distribution of resources within a population (Moore 2007 and Wofford 2013). Evaluating agonistic behavior is therefore a valuable means by which to examine expenditure of energy for resources (Moore 2007 and Wofford 2013).

    Read More

  • Predator - Prey Relationships

    4257 Words  | 9 Pages

    off of just one host but very few predators can feed on the same prey(1973). In

    Read More

  • Problems of the Food System

    2097 Words  | 5 Pages

    The. Pollan, Michael. A. The Omnivore's Dilemma. N. p. : Penguin Books, 2006.

    Read More

  • Essay On Invasive Species

    1245 Words  | 3 Pages

    On the first level, when foreign, but previously non-invasive species is first introduced to a new area, the new species may play a role in a community that was previously unfulfilled; it may fill a vacant niche in the ecosystem. Originally this new species may be seen as a useful contributor to its new surroundings because it has only (temporarily) increased biodiversity in the area (Meinesz, 2003).

    Read More

  • The Ecological and Economical Importance of Seagrass

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...Dennison, W. C., Duarte, C. M., Fourqurean, J. W., Heck, K. L., & Williams, S. L. (2006). A global crisis for seagrass ecosystems.Bioscience, 56(12), 987-996.

    Read More

  • Biodiversity Loss and Extinction

    1204 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the big causes of extinction or the endangerment of species is foreign species entering a habitat. This species that are not native to the land can disrupt the food web in that community. These species take control of the food web and endanger some of the other species. The native species become endangered and over the course of many years they either adapt to their new way or life, the foreign predator leaves or is killed off due to the different environment, or the species is killed off and becomes extinct. Organizations like the “World Wild Li...

    Read More

More about Keystone Species

Open Document