Keystone species
Keystone species
A keystone species helps define a whole ecosystem. Without its keystone species, a ecosystem can be very different or cease to exist altogether.
They have low functional redundancy--if a species vanishes from an ecosystem, no other species can fill its ecological niche. The ecosystem is forced to radically change for new and likely invasive species to populate the habitat.
functional redundancy: traits of species with similar contributions to an ecosystem to other species.
ecological niche: roles relating to one's environment
niche: a species' role in an ecosystem
ecological: relating to the relation of organisms and their habitat
Keystone species can be from plants to fungi. Although not always the most abundant species in an ecosystem, but most are animals with huge influences on food webs. The way these animals influence food webs varies from habitat.
abundant: in bi gamounts
[1] Wikipedia
[2] Role of Keystone Species in an Ecosystem - National Geographic
[3]