Species Diversity, The Dominant Species and The Keystone Species

Tree diversity: 3(2) + 7(6) + 4(3) + 1(0) + 1(0) / 16(15) = .209 --> .21
*3 = White Ash trees
7 = American Elm trees
4 = American White Birch trees
1 = Norway Maple trees
1 = American Tulip trees


There does not seem to be a dominant species in our quadrat. If there were one, that title would be shared between the Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) and the Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Both eat acorns, but the Rusty Blackbird also eats bugs. Though, this would not affect the squirrels’ diet. The Rusty Black and the Eastern Gray Squirrel have to compete for acorns, but the squirrels would probably win out because they are more accustomed to foraging for acorns (it is their main food source).

The keystone species in our quadrat is the termite. As detrivores, they eat dead leaves and dead wood and turn the waste into something useful. The trees use the detrivores’ waste for nutrients, so the termites help keep the trees strong. Those same trees provide acorns for both the birds and the squirrels. Sometimes, the termites eat hollows into trees where squirrels and birds can make comfortable homes for themselves. The earthworm (of the Order Opisthopora) would be a close second. Though it processes detritus as well as dead animals, it does not eat through wood to indirectly make homes for the birds and squirrels.