Concept
Version 11
Created by Boundless
The Role of Species within Communities
Keystone species maintain biodiveristy
The Pisaster ochraceus sea star is a keystone species. When this animal is removed from certain areas, its prey species greatly alters the dynamics of the ecosystem, reducing biodiversity.
Source
Boundless vets and curates high-quality, openly licensed content from around the Internet. This particular resource used the following sources:
"OpenStax College, Community Ecology. October 17, 2013."
http://cnx.org/content/m44878/latest/Figure_45_06_13.jpg
OpenStax CNX
CC BY 3.0.