Keystone Animals
Published on Nov 22, 2015
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American alligator: Alligators use their tails to make burrows to stay warm and when they move on, these burrows fill with water which is used by other species. Alligators are also predators, keeping the numbers of other species in check.
Photo by Will Montague
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.
Photo by Leo Reynolds
Bees: By pollinating plants, bees contribute to their survival. The plants are shelter for insects, which are then eaten by other species, like birds.
Photo by supersum
Elephants: By eating small trees, elephants preserve the grasslands, because the grasses need plenty of sun to survive. If they were not there, the savanna would convert to a forest or scrublands.
Photo by Arno Meintjes Wildlife
Gopher tortoise: This tortoise makes large burrows which are used by more than 350 species, including owls, snakes and frogs.
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 a
Photo by t i g
Tiger sharks: These sharks will eat practically anything. This helps control populations of sea turtles and dugongs who may cause overgrazing of the sea grass in Western Australia. Since sea grass is where fish lay their eggs, overgrazing would lead to fewer fish.
Wolves: 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.
Photo by spencer77
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.
Photo by intheburg
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.
Photo by GraphicReality
