A species that is so important to its community (such as the sea otter)that their removal can dismantle a food web is termed a _____ species.

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A keystone species is one whose presence is essential to maintain the structure and function of the community they occur in. The removal of the keystone species can have cascading effects on the entire ecosystem, including the potential collapse of the food web. The examples given, the sea otter, is an excellent illustration of a keystone species because its consumption of sea urchins is critical to prevent overgrazing of kelp forests, which in turn provides habitat for many other species.

A Species That Is So Important to Its Community (Such