KEYSTONE SPECIES

Domain	Definition
Avian	A species whose abundance dramatically alters the structure and dynamics of ecological systems (Brown and Heske 1990:1705). (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Specialty Definition: Keystone species

A keystone species is a species that exerts great influence on an ecosystem. This influence can take one of several forms.

A keystone predator may prevent a particular prey species from overrunning an ecosystem. Some sea stars may perform this function by preying on mussels and other shellfish that have no other natural predators. If the sea star is removed from the ecosystem, the mussel population explodes uncontrollably, driving out most other species.

The grizzly bears of the northwestern United States are also keystone species, but in a different way. They transfer nutrients from the oceanic ecosystem to the forest ecosystem. The first stage of the transfer is performed by salmon who swim up rivers, sometimes for hundreds of miles. The bears then capture the salmon and carry them onto dry land, dispersing nutrient-rich feces and partially-eaten carcasses.

Frequency of Internet Keywords: KEYSTONE SPECIES

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.

Anagrams: KEYSTONE SPECIES

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "c-e-e-e-e-i-k-n-o-p-s-s-s-t-y"
	-4 letters: cytokineses.
	-5 letters: kinescopes, nosepieces, pokinesses, stockiness.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.