Keystone Species Virtual Lab

Learning Outcome: To examine the effects of removing a keystone species from the environment using a virtual lab

Predation is one factor that can limit the growth of a population. When predation ceases, a prey population that is
normally somewhat stable can explode, causing effects to ripple out across the entire food web. The predator doesn’t
need to be an apex predator in order to have this kind of effect on a community. In this lab activity, you will see
what happens when such a keystone species is removed from an ecosystem.

Directions: Follow the following link to the virtual lab

https://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/interactives/ecology/ecology.html?initLesson=1 and click “Open Simulator”

Part I: Establishing a Food Chain

First you'll run a less than "real-life" scenario.

Step 1: Choose only one organism from each trophic level and make sure that the food chain goes in a straight line from one trophic
level to the next.

This will be Herbivore A eats Plant A, Omnivore A eats Herbivore A.

Step 2: Click on Plant B icon. Let Plant B survive on its own and see what happens.

Step 3: Predict whether each species will survive, and whether it will increase or decrease in number, as well as whether Plant B
will survive to the end

Prediction:

All other species would survive, but there would be nothing to stop plant B from reaching the point of overpopulation, whilst plant
A will be taken out by herbivore A, possibly resulting in Plant B's takeover

Step 4: Click on the “Run” icon. The simulation will run for 100 days.

Step 5: Record your results in the Data Table.

Step 6: Reset and run the simulation again and record your data.

Use X for "die out," ↑ for "increase in numbers," and ↓ for "decrease in numbers."

(X, , or ) Plant A Herbivore A Omnivore A Plant B

Simulation 1  299  668  137 2050

Simulation 2  299  668  137 2050

Answer the following:

1. Was your prediction correct? How did you arrive at your prediction? What differences were there between your
prediction and the simulation?

My prediction was far from accurate, with nothing to stand in plant B's way, I expected it's population to continue growing
steadily, while the other populations would struggle to survive. But the results turned out to be the complete opposite

2. What would happen to this imaginary ecosystem if the producers were to die out?

Every other organism would suffer from starvation and will eventually be driven to extinction. without the producers, the
higher trophic levels cannot function properly as there is no energy is available to them.
 3. Did any of the species increase in number? What could account for this increase? Which species decreased in number and
what might account for this decrease?

Both animals have shown an increase in number, with plant A having such a large population, the herbivores that feed on them are bound to
increase in number as well, this huge increase is also beneficial to the omnivores who feed off the herbivores, resulting in the omnivore
population showing an increase. With this massive increase in herbivores, both plant species A and B will decrease in number.

4. Which populations would benefit the most from the presence of decomposers?

Plants, this is because only plants can make use of the nutrients returned to the soil by decomposers.

Part II: Establishing the Environment

Step 1: Reset simulation.

Step 2: Click on “All off” icon.

Step 3: Click on all the plant icons. They plants should cover up the bare ground on simulation.

Part III: Establishing a Stable Food Web

Step 4: Click Herbivore A. Select Herbivore A eats Plants A, Plant B, and Plant C.

Step 5: Click Herbivore B. Select Herbivore

B eats Plants A, Plant B, and Plant C.

Step 6: Click Herbivore C. Select Herbivore

C eats Plants A, Plant B, and Plant C.

Step 7: Click Omnivore A. Select

Omnivore A eats Plants A, Plant B, Plant C,
Herbivore A, Herbivore B, Herbivore C,
and Omnivore B.

Step 8: Click Omnivore B. Select Omnivore

A eats Plants A, Plant B, Plant C, Herbivore
A, Herbivore B, Herbivore C, and
Omnivore A.

Step 9: Click Top Predator. Select Top

Predator eats Omnivore A and Omnivore B.

Step 10: Predict what will occur to each species. Prediction:

Both plant populations will show a decrease in number, this is because there is a combination of herbivores and omnivores that feed
on them, the other species will stay the same, this is because the herbivore and omnivore population is still under control by the top
predator.

Step 11: Click on the “Run” icon. The simulation will run for 100 days.

Step 12: Record your results in the Data Table.

Step 13: Run the simulation again and record your data.

Use X for "die out," ↑ for "increase in numbers," and ↓ for "decrease in numbers."

(X, , or ) Plant A Plant B Plant C Herbivore A Herbivore B Herbivore C Omnivore A Omnivore B Top Predator

Simulation 1 X 3618 1798 1329 1329 1329 37 37 504

Simulation 2 X 3618 1798 1329 1329 1329 37 37 504

Answer the following:

1. Was your prediction correct?

Yes, I predicted that the plant population will decrease by a small amount, while the herbivore population will show a large
increase in population as the predator's population goes down by a small amount.

2. How did you arrive at your prediction?

I realised that the plant population will be controlled by the herbivore and omnivores, while the herbivore population will be
controlled by the omnivores, resulting in the decrease of herbivores, and the top predator will keep the omnivore population
stable.

3. What differences were there between your prediction and the simulation?

A: Plants get a huge population reduction, plant A is completely wipe out, instead of reducing only slightly.
(which is surprising because plant A was proven to be stronger than other plant, but in this case, they go
extinct.) While herbivore get huge population increase, but in my prediction the herbivore should stay the same.
The omnivore instead of being the same, it’s population reduce quite drastic. (considering that it’s start with
only 100 omnivores.) Top predator instead of having relatively the same population, the top predator population
sky rocket.

Part IV: Removing a Species from the Food Web

Step 1: Reset simulation.

Step 2: Click on “All off” icon.

Step 3: Click on all the plant icons. They plants should cover up the bare ground on simulation.

Step 4: Click Herbivore A. Select Herbivore A eats Plants A, Plant B, and Plant C.

Step 5: Click Herbivore B. Select Herbivore B eats Plants A, Plant B, and Plant C.

Step 6: Click Herbivore C. Select Herbivore

C eats Plants A, Plant B, and Plant C.

Step 7: Click Omnivore A. Select Omnivore

A eats Plants A, Plant B, Plant C, Herbivore
A, Herbivore B, Herbivore C

Step 8: Do not add omnivore B to the food

web

Step 9: Click Top Predator. Select Top

Predator eats Omnivore A.

Step 10: Predict what will occur to each

species.

Prediction:

Plant A will be driven to extinction before

any other plant species, this is because the
animals in the simulation will feed in a particular order, starting with A and then moving down the line to B and C. This means that
organisms that are capable of consuming plant A will go for it before anything, plant B's population will show a larger increase than
plant C, and the herbivores will increase in population as they have a large array of plants to feed on all the while having only one
predator.

Step 11: Click on the “Run” icon. The simulation will run for 100 days.

Step 12: Record your results in the Data Table.

Step 13: Run the simulation again and record your data.

Use X for "die out," ↑ for "increase in numbers," and ↓ for "decrease in numbers."

(X, , or ) Plant A Plant B Plant C Herbivore A Herbivore B Herbivore C Omnivore A Omnivore B Top Predator

Simulation 1 X 3627 1788 1330 1330 1330 25 X 504

Simulation 2 X

Answer the following:

1.Was your prediction correct?

I predicted the plants, herbivores and predator's population correctly, while I missed the point that the omnivore only increased a
quarter in population..

2. How did you arrive at your prediction?

Because the animals in the simulation tend to consume organisms in a particular order of A,B then C, I predicted that plant A would
be fed off first, then the herbivores would increase in population as they have so much to feed on while having only one predator
that feeds on them.

3. What differences were there between your prediction and the simulation?

I was accurate for the most part, the only thing I failed to predict was the omnivores small increase in number.

Part V: Removing the Keystone Species from a Food Web

Step 1: Reset simulation.

Step 2: Click on “All off” icon.

Step 3: Click on all the plant icons. They plants should cover up the bare ground on simulation.
Step 4: Click Herbivore A. Select Herbivore A
eats Plants A, Plant B, and Plant C.

Step 5: Click Herbivore B. Select Herbivore B eats

Plants A, Plant B, and Plant C.

Step 6: Click Herbivore C. Select Herbivore C eats

Plants A, Plant B, and Plant C.

Step 7: Click Omnivore A. Select Omnivore A

eats Plants A, Plant B, Plant C, Herbivore A,
Herbivore B, Herbivore C, and Omnivore B.

Step 8: Click Omnivore B. Select Omnivore A

eats Plants A, Plant B, Plant C, Herbivore A,
Herbivore B, Herbivore C, and Omnivore A.

Step 9: Do not add the top predator to the food

web.

Step 10: Predict what will occur to each species.

Prediction:

Plants A, B and C will undergo the same process, A will go extinct while B will decease more than C, the herbivores however will
show a decrease this time round as there are two omnivores to feed on them.

Step 11: Click on the “Run” icon. The simulation will run for 100 days.

Step 12: Record your results in the Data Table.

Step 13: Run the simulation again and record your data.

Use X for "die out," ↑ for "increase in numbers," and ↓ for "decrease in numbers."

(X, , or ) Plant A Plant B Plant C Herbivore A Herbivore B Herbivore C Omnivore A Omnivore B Top Predator

Simulation 1 X 0 X X X X 7400 7400 X

Simulation 2 X 0 X X X X 7400 7400 X

Answer the following:

1. Was your prediction correct? What differences were there between your prediction and the simulation?

It was correct for the most part, I only failed to realise that plant B's population would remain the same

2. What was the effect of the top predator on the ecosystem?

To keep the population of certain species stable.

3. What effect did removing the predator have on the ecosystem?

The species below that trophic level will overpopulate and use up all of its resources.

4. Was the ecosystem with or without the top predator most stable?

The ecosystem with the top predator functioned better.

5. How long did it take for the ecosystem to become stable after the removal of the top predator?

70 days