Answer :
Answer:
a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically.
Final answer:
A keystone species plays a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and the structure of an ecosystem. The presence of a keystone species can have a significant impact on other species in the community.
Explanation:
Keystone Species
A keystone species is one whose presence is key to maintaining biodiversity within an ecosystem and to upholding an ecological community's structure. For example, the intertidal sea star, Pisaster ochraceus, is a keystone species in the northwestern United States. When this organism is removed from communities, populations of their natural prey (mussels) increase, completely altering the species composition and reducing biodiversity.
Another example of a keystone species is the banded tetra, a fish in tropical streams, which supplies nearly all of the phosphorus, a necessary inorganic nutrient, to the rest of the community. If these fish were to become extinct, the community would be greatly affected.
