Ecology

Keystone Species

Định Nghĩa

A species whose impact on its ecosystem is disproportionately large relative to its abundance.

Giải Thích Chi Tiết

Avian keystone species include seed-dispersing toucans and hornbills that are essential for regenerating tropical forests; hummingbirds that are the exclusive pollinators of specialist flowers; and raptors whose removal causes trophic cascades. Vultures are among the most ecologically critical keystone birds — their removal in South Asia (due to diclofenac poisoning) caused a catastrophic buildup of carcasses, population explosions of feral dogs, and a surge in human rabies deaths.

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