Keystone Species
Trophic cascade: remove a keystone, watch the web collapse
Controls
Remove Keystone (Wolf)
Restore Keystone
Reset Simulation
Predation pressure:
0.5
Recovery rate:
0.3
Species Abundance
Wolf
100%
Elk
60%
Beaver
50%
Willow
70%
Fish
55%
Songbird
50%
Yellowstone wolves (1995):
Reintroduced wolves triggered a trophic cascade — elk behavior changed, willows recovered, beavers returned, rivers changed course (trophic cascade + geomorphic change). Keystone species have disproportionate ecosystem impact relative to biomass.