Keystone species are those known to have a profound effect on their environment in relationship to the organism's actual numbers. Similar to a stone archway, if one were to remove a single keystone block, one would witness the archway collapse under the weight of the other stones. It is a similar situation with some species of animals; if one animal species is missing from an environment, then this can profoundly affect the remaining plants of the area.
This concept was founded by zoologist Robert T. Paine, professor emeritus of the University of Washington in 1969. In his research he looked at the relationship of a particular starfish to a type of mussel and the impact to the environment of one species without the other. Usually a keystone is a small predator which keeps some type of herbivorous animal from decimating complete plant flora through its quest for food.
One such keystone species is the jaguar. The jaguar is a keystone species endemic to Mexico and other areas of the Americas. As a predator, it is the largest feline inhabiting the Western Hemisphere. In Mexico, and in other countries of the region, it lives mainly in dense rainforest. DNA testing has shown that the jaguar shares a common ancestor to the lion, leopard (snow leopard and clouded leopard) and tiger and that this ancestor roamed the earth six to ten million years old.
The jaguar has no prey in the wild to keep its numbers down and exists at the top of its food chain as what is known as an apex predator. It is believed by experts that as a keystone species the cat is responsible for helping to maintain the ecological balance of the forests it inhabits. As it preys upon granivorous and other animals it keeps those mammals from creating imbalances in the plant species of those areas which would allow more invasive species of plants to dominate.
Other animals that are considered pivotal in keeping the traditional ecology of an area in check include the Mexican Prairie Dog and the Mexican Gray Wolf. If you were to visit Mexico it would be unlikely for you to actually see a jaguar outside of a zoo because the big cats are becoming increasingly rare and the species is now protected. It's highly recommended that you DO pay a visit to one of Mexico's nature preserves or sanctuaries and check out some of these phenomenal cats, if you get the chance, as they are practically never glimpsed in the wild.
This concept was founded by zoologist Robert T. Paine, professor emeritus of the University of Washington in 1969. In his research he looked at the relationship of a particular starfish to a type of mussel and the impact to the environment of one species without the other. Usually a keystone is a small predator which keeps some type of herbivorous animal from decimating complete plant flora through its quest for food.
One such keystone species is the jaguar. The jaguar is a keystone species endemic to Mexico and other areas of the Americas. As a predator, it is the largest feline inhabiting the Western Hemisphere. In Mexico, and in other countries of the region, it lives mainly in dense rainforest. DNA testing has shown that the jaguar shares a common ancestor to the lion, leopard (snow leopard and clouded leopard) and tiger and that this ancestor roamed the earth six to ten million years old.
The jaguar has no prey in the wild to keep its numbers down and exists at the top of its food chain as what is known as an apex predator. It is believed by experts that as a keystone species the cat is responsible for helping to maintain the ecological balance of the forests it inhabits. As it preys upon granivorous and other animals it keeps those mammals from creating imbalances in the plant species of those areas which would allow more invasive species of plants to dominate.
Other animals that are considered pivotal in keeping the traditional ecology of an area in check include the Mexican Prairie Dog and the Mexican Gray Wolf. If you were to visit Mexico it would be unlikely for you to actually see a jaguar outside of a zoo because the big cats are becoming increasingly rare and the species is now protected. It's highly recommended that you DO pay a visit to one of Mexico's nature preserves or sanctuaries and check out some of these phenomenal cats, if you get the chance, as they are practically never glimpsed in the wild.
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