adjective/noun · academic
keystone
UK/ˈkiːstəʊn/US/ˈkiːstoʊn/KEYS·tone
having a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance (often used in 'keystone species')
Examples
“Sea otters are considered a keystone species because they control sea urchin populations.”
“Removing a keystone species can lead to ecosystem collapse.”
“Conservation plans often prioritise keystone species to maximise ecological benefit.”
Band 8 sentence
“Protecting keystone species can stabilise entire ecosystems because their removal triggers cascading effects.”
Collocations
- keystone species
- identify a keystone
Word family
Common mistakes
key species→keystone species
this species is keystone→this species is a keystone species
Say it for a higher band
5important species→6key species→7+keystone
Synonyms
crucial
Easily confused
dominant
“In that forest, oaks are the dominant trees, covering most of the canopy.”
Related words
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In Nature & Animals
Learn it with its set