AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -What are Keystone Species? The removal of keystone species from a habitat results in a dramatic change in the habitat. It affects other species to the extent that they might even get extinct. These species affect the structure and function of an ecosystem and the plants and animal species residing in that ecosystem.

Detailed explanation-2: -What Effect Do Keystones Have on an Ecosystem? Keystone species maintain the local biodiversity of an ecosystem, influencing the abundance and type of other species in a habitat. They are nearly always a critical component of the local food web.

Detailed explanation-3: -A keystone species is a plant, animal, fungi, or even bacteria that has a disproportionately large impact on their ecosystem. They play an important role in their natural environments as their impact on other species can reshape entire ecosystems.

Detailed explanation-4: -Similarly, keystone species can drastically impact an ecosystem when there are fluctuations in their population or if they are completely removed from it [2]. Given its simplicity in conveying the importance of some species, the concept has become very popular since it was first introduced by Robert T.