Question

find an example of a keystone species and describe in detail
what might happen to the ecosystem if the keystone species is removed.

Answer 1

@bruh747 @LichKing @TrojanPoem

Answer 2

use this link, answers your question within first few paragraphs.

http://education.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/keystone-species/

Answer 3

All together

"A keystone species is a plant or animal that plays a unique and crucial role in the way an ecosystem functions. Without keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether."

Answer 4

"All species in an ecosystem, or habitat, rely on each other. The contributions of a keystone species are large compared to the species' prevalence in the habitat. A small number of keystone species can have a huge impact on the environment.

A keystone species is often, but not always, a predator. A few predators can control the distribution and population of large numbers of prey species. A single mountain lion near the Mackenzie Mountains in Canada, for example, can roam an area of hundreds of kilometers. The deer, rabbits, and bird species in the ecosystem are at least partly controlled by the presence of the mountain lion. Their feeding behavior, or where they choose to make their nests and burrows, are largely a reaction to the mountain lion's activity. Scavenger species, such as vultures, are also controlled by the activity of the mountain lion."

Answer 5

"A keystone species' disappearance would start a domino effect. Other species in the habitat would also disappear and become extinct. The keystone species' disappearance could affect other species that rely on it for survival. For example, the population of deer or rabbits would explode without the presence of a predator. The ecosystem cannot support an unlimited number of animals, and the deer soon compete with each other for food and water resources. Their population usually declines without a predator such as a mountain lion.

Without the keystone species, new plants or animals could also come into the habitat and push out the native species. Some species of hummingbirds are keystone species in the Sonoran Desert of North America. Hummingbirds pollinate many varieties of native cactus and other plants. In areas of the Sonoran Desert with few hummingbirds, invasive species such as buffelgrass have taken over the ecosystem. '

Answer 6

Otherwise, get the full read here: http://education.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/keystone-species/