keystone species
CEFR: C1
An organism that plays a disproportionately critical ecological role in holding an entire ecosystem together.
Synonyms
- foundational organism
- ecosystem engineer
Common Collocations
- role as a keystone species
- protect keystone species
- critical keystone species
Example Sentence
Sea otters function as a keystone species by preying on herbivorous sea urchins to protect kelp forest biomes.