Meaning & use
keystone species
A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its ecosystem relative to its abundance.
See it in a sentence
Sea otters are a keystone species because they control the sea urchins that destroy kelp forests.
Removing the keystone species from the reserve caused several other populations to collapse.
A note on using this word
The term describes ecological importance, not necessarily the most numerous or largest species present.
Words with a similar meaning
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