One Trillion Trees

5 keystone species that need protecting

A beaver, a keystone species, is seen creating a damn with pieces of wood.

Keystone species are organisms that play a key role and have a disproportionate impact on their surrounding ecosystem. Image: Arbor day Foudnation

Jennifer Moon
Writer, Arbor Day Foundation
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One Trillion Trees

Our 'ecosystem engineers.'
Our 'ecosystem engineers.' Image: Arbor Day Foundation

Pacific salmon are a well-traveled keystone species upon which 137 species rely.
Pacific salmon are a well-traveled keystone species upon which 137 species rely. Image: Arbor Day Foundation
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More than 350 other species rely on gopher tortoise burrows to survive.
More than 350 other species rely on gopher tortoise burrows to survive. Image: Arbor Day Foundation

While people are fast asleep, bats are busy eating insects, spreading seeds, and pollinating plants.
While people are fast asleep, bats are busy eating insects, spreading seeds, and pollinating plants. Image: Arbor Day Foundation

Mangroves are sometimes referred to as the “roots of the sea.”
Mangroves are sometimes referred to as the “roots of the sea.” Image: Arbor Day Foundation
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Related topics:
One Trillion TreesNature and BiodiversityFuture of the EnvironmentSDG 15: Life on Land
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