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Keystone Species

All articles tagged with #keystone species

science1 month ago•3 min saved

Beneath Yucatán cenotes, cave shrimps anchor a hidden underground food web

Researchers studying Mexico’s cenotes found Typhlatya cave shrimps occupy distinct dietary niches and sustain a linked underground food web by funneling surface-derived organic matter into the ecosystem; these shrimps act as a keystone species in the anchialine environment, a delicate balance threatened by urbanization and deforestation that disrupts surface inputs and the caves’ vertical connectivity.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#anchialine #cave-ecology #cenotes

science1 month ago•43 min saved

Melting Arctic Ice Threatens Polar Cod, Keystone of the Arctic Web

A Nature Communications study using computer simulations projects that by 2060 polar cod could struggle to find adequate food in a warming Arctic, as earlier spring sunlight boosts prey while higher temperatures raise energy needs, risking poorer winter fattening and threatening a keystone species vital for predators across the Arctic; capelin may not fully compensate, and fish are already shifting north, underscoring broader ecosystem risks.

via Yahoo|

#arctic #barents-sea #climate-change