Correct question:
If an ecosystem lost a keystone species, which outcome would be expected?
A) The oxygen supply in the ecosystem would be depleted.
B) The population numbers of other species would change dramatically.
C) The temperature of the ecosystem would increase.
D) A new keystone species would replace the old keystone species.
Answer:
B) The population numbers of other species would change dramatically.
Explanation:
There seems to be an ecological balance between all animals in nature. Some animals help to bring out the nutrients from the cycle while others help in decomposition, carbon, and nitrogen cycle. All animals, insects, and even micro organisms play a role in the ecosystem.
What is a keystone species? A keystone species is a species whose presence and role within an ecosystem has a disproportionate effect on other organisms within the system. A keystone species is often a dominant predator whose removal allows a prey population to explode and often decreases overall diversity.
Examples of keystone species include the bison and prairie dog
Answer:
The population numbers of other species would change dramatically
Explanation:
When an organism exist in an ecosystem in such a way that it impacts and influence in the ecosystem has a significant effect incomparable to its number in the population,such organism is said to be a Keystone species.They are responsible for the structure and continue existence of the ecosystem. Thus their absence leads to change in the ecosystem structure.
They maintain ecosystem structure for example by suppressing the population of one species of organism. E.g if a keystone species is a predator, its continuous predation on the herbivores which graze over a particular land area maintain balance between the green plant population and nutrient cycles in the ecosystem. If the the Keystone does not exits over grazing from the increasing population of the grazers will disrupt the energy and nutrient cycles in the ecosystem, with dramatic change in the ecosytem.
