Sea Star Keystone Species

What is a keystone species?

• A species that helps to hold an ecosystem together

• A species that lives in or around rocks

• Keys and stones have nothing to do with ecology

• A keystone isn't a living thing, it's just a stone

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A species that maintain biodiversity by keeping prey populations controlled are called..

• Introduced Species

• Apex Predators

• Invasive Species

• keystone Species

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The term biodiversity means:

• an ecosystem composed mostly of plants

• only a few types of plants and animals in an ecosystem

• a wide variety of plants and animals in an ecosystem

• an ecosystem composed mostly of animals

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What would happen to an ECOSYSTEM if a KEYSTONE SPECIES DISAPPEARED?

• It would COLLAPSE or not be able to survive.

• It would help SUSTAIN the ecosystem.

• The FOOD WEB would stay the same.

• MIGRATORY species would arrive and take over.

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The animal in an ecological relationship that results in another animal being hunted, killed, and eaten…

• autotroph

• predator

• producer

• herbivore

A sea otter and a sea star are examples of...

• invasive species

• keystone species

• symbiotic species

• native species 

a consumer that feeds only on other consumers is called a

• prey

• carnivore

• niche

• autotroph

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A species that plays a critical role in the health, maintenance, growth, or definition of an ecosystem.

• keystone

• engineer

• invasive

• predator

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Why are some sharks considered a keystone species?

• They are cartilaginous

• They scare off smaller fish that may overgraze an area of sea grass

• Because they are a top predator

• They are tertiary consumers

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Which one of the following keystone examples is a keystone predator found in the tidal pools of northwestern North America and was the species that launched Robert Paine’s keystone species concept?

• wolves

• sea otter

• starfish

• beaver

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