What’s a Keystone Species?
Speciesguy here again.
Hi kids and all. Have you heard of the word, “keystone species?” This is a very cool word! Just think of curved part of the top part of an arch. This part of the curve of a building holds the whole building up! See the dark stone? That’s the keystone. If a person takes this stone out, the building falls.
There are so many important species out there doing there humble job. Sharks, wolves and rhinos to name a few are the glue that assists in keeping other animals alive with food.
Here’s the Keystone
The same goes for a species out in the wild that are a keystone species. Here’s why. If one species goes extinct, like the wolf or rhino, well, a bunch of other species would be in a heap of trouble. Check out some of the species below!
The Wolf
The wolves in America are a keystone species; they provide food for other animals. What kind of animals? Well, because of the wolf, the raven, coyote, and bears benefit by them being around. Some of their food gets left. If wolf is not there, you’ll have too many coyotes. They keep the elk population in balance. Can you see their value?
They are good for other animals and eco-system. That just means it’s where they live. It’s just that ranchers that have cows, and the wolves eat their cattle too. I’m sure I would not want them where my cows graze. But, somehow, a balance has to happen.
The Rhino
The rhino is a keystone species. Want to know why? Man, they are one amazing road grader. They eat things that other animals don’t eat like bushes and roots, some really tough stuff. And they keep the grassland clear of bushes.
So what would happen with the other animals that eat grass if the rhino wasn’t there? I’m sure you can guess. They can’t order a taco like you and I when they get hungry. So, I’m sure you can see the value of them.
The Sharks
Man, I can’t wait for you to read about sharks! There’s so much to learn. They’ve been around for at least 400 hundred million years. That is a long time to get things in order.
Ok, why are sharks so important? And. W hat does a shark have the most of? Your right, teeth. They are professional eating machines. I read that some go through thirty thousand teeth a year. They have a conveyor belt of teeth. Tell your family dentist about that one!
I also discovered that sharks have different types of tails to catch different kinds of species in the ocean. Go have fun reading about the mako shark. I invite you to read some fun shark info, it’s my page called, “It’s all in the tail.”
I love to impart how much I care about sharks. When I learned that 100 million are being taken out of the ocean a year to soup! That’s right, shark fin soup. We need all of the sharks in the ocean. Every species of sharks serves a purpose. And I think they deserve our love and respect, don’t you agree?
