keystone species en · NOUN
Meanings
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A species that exerts a large, stabilizing influence throughout an ecological community, despite its relatively small numerical abundance.
Megafauna are called ʻkeystone speciesʼ because when they become extinct the entire arch of the ecosystem can collapse.
2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 227:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| keystone species | Number=Plur | lexicographic |