Keystone Predation
A keystone predator prevents competitive dominants from monopolizing resources, thereby maintaining diversity.
A keystone predator prevents competitive dominants from monopolizing resources, thereby maintaining diversity. Some species are superior competitors for space, light, or nutrients. If unchecked, competitive dominants exclude other species and drive the system toward low diversity. Keystone predators selectively prey on competitive dominants, preventing monopolization and creating opportunities for inferior competitors to persist. This only works if the predator is selective - targeting abundant or competitively dominant species through density-dependent predation.
Business Application of Keystone Predation
In organizations, keystone predators are analogous to forces that prevent any single competitor from monopolizing resources - antitrust regulation, platform rules, or market dynamics that keep dominant players in check and maintain competitive diversity.