The enormous benefit that salmon provide for countless species and the overall health and function of the coast is what makes salmon a keystone species — an integral species which ecosystems depend on, with drastic changes resulting if they are removed. Each part of a salmon’s life cycle is heavily interconnected with its surrounding environment.
Another thing we asked ourselves was; why are salmon a keystone species?
One source argued that An increasing body of research has confirmed that freshwater and especially anadromous salmon serve as keystone species that exert control as predators, prey and as suppliers of critical nutrients in both aquatic and terrestrial riparian ecosystems.
What is a keystone species?
Keystone species “play a disproportionately large role in the prevalence and population levels of other species within their ecosystem or community [and are crucial] to the long-term sustainability of the ecosystems they inhabit.” [i]It is believed that at least 137 different species rely on Salmon to survive.[ii].
As a vital part of ecosystems, they help “control the population of prey species, ” according to National Geographic. This in turn impacts the whole food web. One of the most well-known keystone species are the grey wolves in Yellowstone National Park. In the 1920s, their population was completely depleted as a result of years of overhunting.
What is a salmon?
Salmon: A Keystone Species – Living In The Great Turning Salmon are an integral element of life on the coast. They are emblematic of B. C, and play an important role in Indigenous communities and culture. Orcas, as we discussed in a previous blog post, are an ‘indicator species.’.
What is the role of salmon in the ecosystem?
Salmon are a keystone species and play a critical role in a food chain that stretches from the upper basins of the highest mountains to the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. Salmon are food for other animals at every stage of their lives from when they are eggs in the gravel to when they return back to the streams as adults.
As salmon disappear, coastal ecosystems, culture and economies are disproportionately impacted. The enormous benefit that salmon provide for countless species and the overall health and function of the coast is what makes salmon a keystone species — an integral species which ecosystems depend on, with drastic changes resulting if they are removed.