- Key stone species is a plant or an animal
- It plays a crucial role in the way an ecosystem works
- All species on an ecosystem rely on each other to survive
- A key stone species is often but not always a predator
- If a keystone species is removed other species will disappear and become extinct
- Also if a keystone species is removed new plants can come in and push native species out of the environment
- The idea of a keystone species was made in 1969 by a zoologist professor Robert T. Pain
Foundation Species
- creates a habitat that supports other species
- ex. corals
Umbrella Species
- Large Organisms
- Similar to keystone species but they migrate and need a big habitat
- ex. tigers
Indicator Species
- Indicator species are plants or animals
- Very sensible to changes in the ecosystem
- Gives early warning that a habitat is suffering