What is the Difference Between Keystone Species and Foundation Species?

The main difference between keystone species and foundation species lies in their roles and impacts on their respective ecosystems.

Keystone Species:

Keystone species have a disproportionately large effect on their environment relative to their abundance.
They are vital for maintaining biodiversity and can affect many other organisms in an ecosystem.
Without keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether.
Examples of keystone species include jaguars, which act as a keystone predator in the mammalian jungle ecosystem by consuming 87 different types of prey.

Foundation Species:

Foundation species are usually the most abundant species in an ecosystem.
They physically modify the environment and produce and maintain habitats that benefit other species.
They have the greatest influence on the overall structure of a community.
Examples of foundation species include kelp, which forms the basis of kelp forests off the coast of California and provides shelter and suitable habitat for numerous other organisms.

In summary, keystone species have a greater effect on the composition of communities in an ecosystem, while foundation species are the most abundant species that physically modify the environment and produce and maintain habitats.

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What is the Difference Between Keystone Species and Foundation Species?

Comparative Table: Keystone Species vs Foundation Species

Here is a table comparing keystone species and foundation species:

Feature	Keystone Species	Foundation Species
Definition	Species that have a disproportionately large effect on their environment relative to their abundance.	Species that play a major role in creating or maintaining a habitat that supports other species.
Importance	Their presence is key to maintaining biodiversity within an ecosystem and upholding an ecological community's structure.	They physically modify the environment and produce and maintain habitats that benefit other species.
Examples	Elephants as keystone species prevent the encroachment of woody shrubs, which would otherwise negatively impact the abundance and diversity of other species living in the grasslands.	Coral reefs in tropical seas are often considered foundation species because they provide a complex, three-dimensional structure that offers shelter and food for a great diversity of other species.

Keystone species are vital to an ecosystem, as they have a significant effect on the composition of communities. In contrast, foundation species play a major role in creating and maintaining a habitat for other species.

Guilherme Mazui

Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.