What is a Keystone Species: Definition, Types, Characteristics, Importance, Examples, and Ecological Role

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 Introduction:      A keystone species is an organism that plays a disproportionately large role in maintaining the structure, stability, and functioning of an ecosystem. Another definition of keystone species is a species whose impact on its ecosystem is disproportionately large relative to its abundance or biomass. They are named after the keystone in a stone arch, the central wedge-shaped stone that holds the entire arch together. In 1969 zoologist Robert T. Paine used this architectural term as a metaphor to describe the critical role of these species. Although keystone species are often low in abundance, their removal can cause major changes throughout an ecosystem. Not all dominant or abundant species are keystone species. A keystone species is identified by the magnitude of its ecological impact rather than by its population size. Some keystone species are abundant, while others are relatively rare. Keystone in a stone arch History of keystone species concept...
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Four Amazing Facts about Animals

 Fact 1(toughest animal):

    An animal, the tardigrade, is known as toughest animal.  
People think it is immortal because tardigrades can survive in every type of environment. 
It is not really immortal.

  • Tardigrades are famous for surviving extreme stress, but their ordinary life span is short — and they are not truly immortal.They have a lifespan of only a few months.
  • It is very intresting that tardigrade can survive at -273°C to 150°C(in labortarory). They can die when exposed to 87°C hot water for one hour. 
  • They can also survive without food, oxygen, and other factors(also in vaccume).
  • Tardigrades are microscopic, eight-legged animals also known as "water bears" or "moss piglets".
  • They are usually 0.5 mm long when they are mature. 
  • They curl and dehydrate theirselves in order to survive in harsh environment. This dry ball is called a tun, and this state is called cryptobiosis. 
  • In this state, it reduce matabolisam to 0.01% and survives in harsh environments and radiation(even gama rays).
  • These are oviparous, which means they lay eggs there eggs are hatched in about 30 to 40 days.
  • Due to their unique qualities, they survive from five major extinction events. In addition, they existed from approximately 600 million years ago(before dinosaurs).
  • They are omnivores and feed on fluid of algae, bacteria, and plants.
    Tardigrade

Fact 2(longest living creature):

       Glass sponges are the longest living organisms. 

  • Discoveries says that they can survive about more than 10,000 years. 
  • Glass sponges are deep-sea, motionless marine animals. It is also known as venus flower basket.
  • Their skeleton is made up by fusion of needles like structure(spicules) made of silica.
  • They comsume phytoplankton, zooplankton and bacteria from surrondings. They are filter feeders.
  • They live in the depths of about 200-600 meters in seas, attached to rocks or mud by roots.
  • They have been appears to existance from over 570 million years ago. They are supposed to be oldest animal in the world.
  • Once they were thought to be extinct approximately 40 million years ago. Than in 1987 living glass sponge reef discovered.
  • Their spicules(needle-like structure) emit light like fibre-optics.
  • They form symbiotic relationship with shrimps. Sometime pair of shrimps live inside glass sponge forever.
  • They can grow from one metre or more.

Fact 3(most intelligent animal):

    Asides human, the chimpanzee are among the most intelligent mammals.

  •  Chimpanzee are great apes and simply known as chimp.
  • They are social great apes and highly intelligent above all mammals(expect human).
  • They have bare faces and body is covered with blach hairs. Their face is light-colored when they are child. With the passage of time, it become darker.
  • They are omnivores, eat leaves, seeds, branches and meat. 
  • Generally, they can walk through four legs but for short distance can walk by two legs.
  • Their lifespan is approximately 40 to 60 years.
  • It is intresting that chimpanzee share 98% DNA with humans.
  • They can adopt every type of environment. Like humans they are also flexible to adopt in diverse environment.
  • They use different things as tool to perform different tasks. Such as use leaves to drink water and rocks to smash nuts.
  • They can recognize their face in mirror.
  • They also possess social intelligence. They live together and built their nest(every night built new nest for sleeping) , groups, sub groups and family.

Fact 4(shortest lifespan):

    Mayfly has the shortest lifespan of any other organism.

  • They have adult lifespan only for 24 hours or less. 
  • Their final hours are solely for mating before death.
  • They live underwater for three months to two years as nymph(larval stage).
  • They feed on algae.
  • They are ancient insects. They exist from 350 million years.
  • They don't have mouthparts and, digestive system. They do not bite and sting. 
  • The large number of mayfly actively emerge during summer.
  • They possess two transparent wings, also two or three thread like tail.

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