Food Chains and Keystone Species

After introducing food chains and food webs, this suite of four lessons looks at ecosystems, focussing on the species that can completely alter an ecosystem through their presence or absence.  These so-called 'keystone species' act like the keystone in an arch, giving an ecosystem strength and stability.  If they are removed, everything else in the ecosystem is disrupted too, sometimes to the point of destruction.

Suitable for Key Stage 2 and 3 classes, the lessons include:

1. What is a food chain?
2. What is meant by a keystone species?
3. What are some other examples of keystone species?
4. How can we use our knowledge about keystone species to help the environment?