Page 343 - BenchMark_5-3
P. 343
Summary
Fill in the blanks.
People did not use to think about how animals affected one
another in their ecosystems. They later realized that the sea otter
is a keystone species . It eats sea urchins. But fewer sea otters
mean more sea urchins. They then eat more kelp, so fish that
normally hide in kelp become visible to their enemies. In the past,
people hunted sea otters, and oil spills also killed them. But people
passed laws to protect them. As a result, the number of sea otters .
is increasing.
normally hide in kelp is a keystone species
the number of sea otters how animals affected
Unit 10 | Doomed to Disappear? Endangered Species
