Difference Between Keystone Species and Foundation Species

The key difference between keystone species and foundation species is that keystone species are the species that have a greater effect on all the other species in an ecosystem while foundation species are the species that play a major role in creating and maintaining a habitat for other species.

There are several categories of organisms that are crucial for the survival or existence of the ecosystem. Keystone species, foundation species, umbrella species, indicator species are several examples. Keystone species may not be visible in the ecosystem, but their existence is vital for the composition of other communities. Foundation species, on the other hand, are also critical since they play a major role in creating and maintaining a habitat for other species. Therefore, they show a strong role in structuring a community.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Keystone Species 
3. What are Foundation Species
4. Similarities Between Keystone Species and Foundation Species
5. Side by Side Comparison – Keystone Species vs Foundation Species in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What are Keystone Species?

Ecologist Robert Paine coined the term “keystone species” in the 1960s. Keystone species are the species that have strong effects on the composition of communities in an ecosystem. In fact, these species show a greater effect on all the species in an ecosystem. Therefore, if we remove a keystone species from an ecosystem, it will have large and lasting negative impacts on the rest of the community. These species may not be visible in the system; nevertheless, their removal will cause devastating effects on the ecosystem. Starfish, hummingbird, sea otter, African elephants, American beaver, flying fox and mangrove trees are several examples for keystone species.

Furthermore, there are three types of keystone species as predators, ecosystem engineers or mutualists. Predator keystone species control the populations of prey species, while ecosystem engineers are able to create, change, or destroy habitat. Mutualists provide benefits for other species while staying in a symbiotic relationship with them.

What are Foundation Species?

Foundation species are the species that play a major role in creating or maintaining habitat in order to support other species in an ecosystem. Coral is a foundation species. Coral reefs produce habitats for other species. Trees in a forest are another example of foundation species.

The interaction between foundation species and other species in an ecosystem is non-trophic. Due to this non-trophic effect, identification or detection of foundation species in an ecosystem is harder. However, foundation species are generally common and most abundant. Hence, they always receive less attention.

What are the Similarities Between Keystone Species and Foundation Species?

• Keystone species and foundation species are two species that are critical for the survival of other species in an ecosystem.
• Both types of species are abundant in an ecosystem.

What is the Difference Between Keystone Species and Foundation Species?

The key difference between keystone species and foundation species is that keystone species are the species that have a greater effect on all the other species in an ecosystem while foundation species are the species that play a major role in creating or maintaining a habitat in order to support other species in an ecosystem. Moreover, the mode of action of keystone species is trophic while the mode of action of foundation species is non-trophic. So, this is another difference between keystone species and foundation species.

The below infographic summarizes the difference between keystone species and foundation species.

Summary – Keystone Species vs Foundation Species

Keystone species are vital species in an ecosystem. They show a great effect on the composition of communities in an ecosystem. In contrast, foundation species are the most abundant species in an ecosystem. They physically modify the environment and produce and maintain habitats that benefit other organisms in the ecosystem. Thus, this is the summary of the difference between keystone species and foundation species.

Reference:

1. Ellison, Aaron M. “Foundation Species, Non-Trophic Interactions, and the Value of Being Common.”IScience, Elsevier, 27 Feb. 2019, Available here.
2. “Keystone Species.” National Geographic Society, 29 Aug. 2019, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “A Sea Otter” By NOAA’s National Ocean Service (Public Domain) via Flickr
2. “Fish Sounds – Kelp Forest” By California Sea Grant  (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr