Environmental Science
Importance of Keystone Species in Ecosystem Stability
Quick fact
The term 'keystone species' was introduced by ecologist Robert Paine in 1969 after his experiments with starfish revealed that removing them caused a dramatic loss of diversity in tide pools.
Why this is interesting
Imagine removing a single stone from an arch—the whole structure might collapse. Similarly, removing one animal can topple an entire ecosystem. What makes some species so critical?