1 of 10

Slide Notes

DownloadGo Live

Keystone Species.

Published on Nov 20, 2015

No Description

View Outline

MORE DECKS TO EXPLORE

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

1.

BEAVERS

  • Beavers are considered habitat engineers because they change the
  • environment by building dams. This dam building provides still
  • water in which many species flourish.
2.

SEA OTTERS

  • Sea otters are a keystone species in the kelp forests. They eat many
  • invertebrates, but especially sea urchins. If there are too many
  • sea urchins, they will eat too much of the kelp and destroy it.
3.

PRAIRIE DOGS

  • By eating grass, prairie dogs keep water in the soil instead of the
  • water evaporating from the leaves of plants. By tunneling, they
  • help channel rainwater into the water table. By burrowing, they mix
  • different layers of soil, combine it with their droppings, and aerate the soil.
4.

IVORY TREE CORAL

  • 300 invertebrate species call this coral home. It is here that fish live
  • ,breed and become food for larger fish.
5.

WOLFS

  • Being a top predator, wolves are important in many habitats.
  • Wolves keep deer populations in check and too many deer will
  • eat small trees, which leads to fewer trees. In turn, there would be
  • fewer birds and beavers and the whole ecosystem would change.
6.

SNOW GEESE

  • If there are not enough snow geese in salt marshes, other harmful
  • species will take over. When the geese graze, it leaves open
  • areas for other varieties of plants to take root, thus adding to
  • the diversity of the habitat.
7.

SEA STARS

  • Sea stars eat mussels and keep their numbers in check. Too many
  • mussels will crowd out other species, and since mussels have no
  • other natural predators, sea stars are invaluable for keeping
  • the ecosystem diverse.
8.

SUGAR MAPLE

  • This tree is a keystone species of the hardwood forest. It brings water
  • from lower levels in the ground that helps other plants. It is also
  • home to many insects, birds, and small animals.
9.

PACIFIC SALMON

  • Salmon die after spawning and this brings important nutrients to
  • the place where they were born. Their death provides food for
  • many species in the area.
10.

Untitled Slide

  • These predators cover large areas and influence many species.
  • Their prey will alter where they eat and live because of the
  • mountain lion. Scavengers are also affected by the mountain lion’s activity

William Leak