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Which choice best describes what it means to be a keystone species?

A. Keystone species control habitats, protecting other species from more aggressive predators.

B. Keystone species are species that, due to their size, have many children, who then also propagate widely.

C. Keystone species strongly influence the abundance, diversity, and success of other organisms in their ecosystem.

D. Keystone species are at the bases of unusually broad evolutionary family trees.

Answer :

Final answer:

A keystone species greatly impacts its ecosystem by influencing the abundance, diversity, and success of other organisms. An example is the sea otter, which helps maintain kelp forests by controlling sea urchin populations. Thus, the best description of a keystone species is that it strongly influences its ecosystem's dynamics.


Explanation:

Understanding Keystone Species

A keystone species is a species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community. The best choice that describes a keystone species is:

  1. OC. Keystone species strongly influence the abundance, diversity, and success of other organisms in their ecosystem.

Keystone species can have a disproportionately large impact on their environment relative to their biomass. For example, the sea otter is considered a keystone species in kelp forests; by preying on sea urchins, they help maintain kelp forest ecosystems, which provide habitat for many other species. Similarly, predators like wolves control the population of deer, which helps to ensure a balanced ecosystem that supports a wide variety of other plants and animals.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately capture this relationship:

  • OA. Keystone species control habitats, protecting other species from more aggressive predators.
  • OB. Keystone species are species that—due to their size—have many children, who then also propagate widely.
  • OD. Keystone species are at the bases of unusually broad evolutionary family trees.

Conclusion

Therefore, a keystone species is defined by its significant role in influencing the ecological balance, rather than just its reproductive capacity or size.


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