Today on now you know…. EvolutionBesides being incredibly adorable, sea otters have an important role in keeping atmospheric carbon dioxide in check. Otters are a keystone species. Like the keystone found in many monuments, a keystone species supports an entire ecosystem, directly and indirectly. The removal of a keystone species will cause the entire ecosystem to collapse.Sea otters feed on sea urchins. Urchins in turn, are voracious kelp grazers. By predating on sea urchins, otters control their population, which has “a positive indirect effect on kelp biomass.” Kelp are particularly good at removing Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere via photosynthesis. It is obvious, therefore that the otters are an important part of this removal process.It is likely that in many other ecosystems worldwide, there are animals that impact the carbon cycle, potentially in as large a way as these otters do! Conservation biologists can use this information to create economically and environmentally sustainable plans for habitat and animal conservation.

Today on now you know…. Evolution
Besides being incredibly adorable, sea otters have an important role in keeping atmospheric carbon dioxide in check. Otters are a keystone species. Like the keystone found in many monuments, a keystone species supports an entire ecosystem, directly and indirectly. The removal of a keystone species will cause the entire ecosystem to collapse.

Sea otters feed on sea urchins. Urchins in turn, are voracious kelp grazers. By predating on sea urchins, otters control their population, which has “a positive indirect effect on kelp biomass.” Kelp are particularly good at removing Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere via photosynthesis. It is obvious, therefore that the otters are an important part of this removal process.

It is likely that in many other ecosystems worldwide, there are animals that impact the carbon cycle, potentially in as large a way as these otters do! Conservation biologists can use this information to create economically and environmentally sustainable plans for habitat and animal conservation.

8 months ago
  1. motherfuckintreestarz reblogged this from cometo-the-darkside
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  4. forestine reblogged this from davincismurf and added:
    Why is there so much porn in the “cute” tag? Ahghh! There is even a naked dude when I search for “otter”.
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