Elephants are not the most dominant species in African grasslands, yet they influence community structure. The grasslands contain scattered woody plants, but they are kept in check by the uprooting activities of the elephants. Take away the elephants, and the grasslands convert to forests or to shrublands. The newly growing forests support fewer species than the previous grasslands. Which of the following describes why elephants are the keystone species in this scenario?
A) Essentially all of the other species depend on the presence of the elephants to maintain the community.
B) Grazing animals depend upon the elephants to convert forests to grassland.
C) Elephants prevent drought in African grasslands.
D) Elephants are the biggest herbivore in this community.
E) Elephants help other populations survive by keeping out many of the large African predators.
The small-scale distribution of different tree species in a Douglas-fir forest is determined by both
Two species of granivorous rodents living in the Chihuahuan Desert: (a) the kangaroo rat, Dipodomys
Several species of squirrels have melanistic phases. In large parts of United States and Canada, the
There is no such thing as the African American family, any more than there is the Native American, ...
Sensory Differences Between Species