154k views
9 votes
Why are Sea Otters considered a keystone species?

2 Answers

10 votes
Sea otters are a "keystone species" which means that they can exert top-down pressure via predation on sea urchins, which are grazers upon kelp. As urchin density decreases from sea otter predation, so does the grazing pressure on kelp and as a result kelp forests flourish in the presence of sea otters.
User Asi
by
8.3k points
10 votes

Answer:

Sea otters are considered a "keystone species" because they can exert top-down pressure via predation on sea urchins, which are grazers upon kelp.

Step-by-step explanation:

As urchin density decreases from sea otter predation, so does the grazing pressure on kelp and as a result kelp forests flourish in the presence of sea otters.

User Parnas
by
8.0k points
Welcome to QAmmunity.org, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of our community.