What is a keystone species, and why do they matter?

They are the lynchpin of ecosystems – species that maintain balance and support biodiversity – without which the food web is transformed or could even collapse.

Keystone Species Essay

Article: What Is a Keystone Species?

PHENOMENAL Food Webs: Teaching the 5th grade NGSS food webs standard with a focus on keystone species — The Science Penguin

2022 - Beavers: A Keystone Species & Why They Matter So Much with Skip Lisle

Keystone species are organisms that are ecologically crucial for their native ecosystem. Here's some artworks about them (+1 bonus animal) made by Jeroen Helmer for Rewilding Europe : r/megafaunarewilding

Plateau pika is umbrella species for conservation of alpine grassland ecosystem under climate change

Rediscovering the North American Beaver: The Quest for a Keystone Species

CIC: A Keystone Species in Maintaining the Balance of Ecosystems - FasterCapital

Keystone Species

A Keystone Of The Sonoran Desert: Why Old Saguaros Matter