Predators that are keystone species can maintain species diversity in a community if they
A) competitively exclude other predators.
B) prey on the community's dominant species.
C) reduce the number of disruptions in the community.
D) prey only on the least abundant species in the community.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Predators that are keystone species can maintain species diversity in a community if they prey on the community's dominant species. By reducing the numbers of the dominant species, the keystone predators prevent one species from monopolizing resources and thus create opportunities for other species to proliferate. This maintains a balance of species diversity in the ecosystem. The other choices (A, C, and D) do not necessarily promote species diversity in the same way.

Predators That Are Keystone Species Can Maintain Species Diversity in a Community