Question

Non-Alaskan grizzly bears are indicator species for mountain ecosystems. In the nineteenth century, the grizzly bear nearly went

extinct in the lower forty-eight states and were eventually added to the federal Endangered Species List as a threatened species in

1975. Ranching and farming have driven the grizzly from the open plains, and today the species lives mostly in mountains and

forests. The reason for including the grizzly in the list of animal indicator species is that

Answer 1

Grizzly bears are included in the list of animal indicator species because their presence or absence reflects the health of mountain ecosystems. They are considered keystone species and play a crucial role in regulating other species and shaping the ecosystem.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reason the grizzly bear is included in the list of animal indicator species is because their presence or absence can reflect the health and condition of the mountain ecosystems they inhabit.

Grizzly bears are considered a keystone species, meaning they have a disproportionate impact on their environment compared to their abundance. They play a crucial role in regulating the populations of other species and shaping the structure of the ecosystem.

Additionally, the presence of grizzly bears in an ecosystem indicates the presence of the habitats and resources that they depend on, such as open plains, mountains, and forests.