Food web complexity and species diversity
TL;DR
Removal of Pisaster starfish led to ecosystem collapse from 15 species to near-monoculture
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This foundational paper describes the Pisaster starfish removal experiment that established the keystone species concept. Paine demonstrated that removing a single predator species caused collapse of species diversity from 15 to 8 species in rocky intertidal zones.
The paper established that some species have influence vastly disproportionate to their abundance - their presence structures the entire ecosystem, and their removal triggers cascading collapse. This insight translates directly to organizations where certain technologies, people, or customers have similar structural importance.
Key Findings from Paine (1966)
- Removal of Pisaster starfish led to ecosystem collapse from 15 species to near-monoculture
- Predator maintained diversity by preventing competitive dominants from monopolizing resources
- Species impact can be disproportionate to biomass/abundance
- Selective predation on competitive dominants maintains ecosystem diversity
Cited in 11 pages
Mechanism Keystone Species Mechanism Keystone Predation Organism Mussels Organism Pisaster ochraceus Framework Keystone Analysis Framework Framework Keystone Index Citation The keystone species concept: A critical appraisal Citation Sea otters: Their role in structuring nearshore communities Citation The keystone-species concept in ecology and conservation Citation A note on trophic complexity and community stability Citation Challenges in the quest for keystones