From last #Spring.
I'm waiting for local #GarryOak #camas #meadows to showcase their annual full blooms. Another 2 weeks 💜

#ecosystem #KeystoneSpecies #nativeplants #nature #Saanich #Wsanec #IndigenousFoodPlant #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PNW

I'm getting some resources this week, to put together several free #GarryOakEcosystem #nature #zines to give away in my #LittleFreeLibrary all through this Spring & Summer.
It's part of my ongoing personal efforts to boost #NatureEducation / #NatureTeachings - right from the front of our home; so more people can learn about amazing local #biodiversity in our local #ecosystems 🙂
People who learn more about nature, will learn to love, respect & protect nature life systems 💚☘️

#FreeZines #NatureZines #KeystoneSpecies #GarryOaks #Wsanec #Saanich #CommunityBuilding #CommunityEducation #CommunitySharing #CommunityLibrary #EverythingIsFree #Ecological #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #YYJ #VanIsle #PNW

#GarryOak #foliage buds are starting to unfurl. Did you know that Garry Oaks are considered a #KeystoneSpecies of trees? Over 100 flora & fauna species depend on Garry oak trees & their ecosystems for survival.

More info on Garry oaks:
https://www.garryoak.info/learn/

#VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #NativeTrees #TreeLovers #YYJ #VictoriaBC #Wsanec #TreeInfo #MightyOaks #nature #trees #Spring #ecosystems #biodiversity

Awkward by design.
Essential by function.

Eastern white-bearded wildebeest.

No elegance.
No apologies.

Connochaetes taurinus albojubatus
Keystone species energy.
https://www.cernunnosfoundation.com/nature-pictures/connochaetes-taurinus-albojubatus/ #Savanna #KeystoneSpecies

The purple #seastar aka #OchreSeastar - Pisaster ochraceus - is one of the most commonly found #starfish along the coasts of #BritishColumbia. You can see they have thousands of tiny feet on their legs to help them move around.

The purple sea star is considered a #KeystoneSpecies & an essential indicator of #OceanHealth in #intertidal zone.

#WildlifeWednesday #SeaCreatures #MarineAnimals #wildlife #ProtectOceans #SupportMPAs #WildFirst #HealthyOceansHealthyPlanet #Environmentalist #nature #photography #WhatsInMyHand #MarineLife #LookAndLearn #educational #MarineBiology #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #SalishSea

Yuan-Yuan Cui et al. explored the response of Stipa breviflora’s succession strategy to changes in precipitation within the community.

#ClimateChange | #KeystoneSpecies | #SpeciesSuccession | #LeafFunctionalTraits | #DesertSteppe

https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtae112

Warming seas threaten key #phytoplankton species that fuels the #foodweb, study finds
“These are #keystonespecies — very important ones,” said François Ribalet, a research associate professor at the University of Washington’s School of #Oceanography and the study’s lead author. “And when a keystone species decreases in abundance, it always has consequences on #ecology and #biodiversity. The food web is going to change.”
https://apnews.com/article/phytoplankton-prochlorococcus-decline-food-web-warming-oceans-c9e31c10b3ff9d613b41517836d55122
Warming seas may halve key phytoplankton species’ population in tropical oceans

New research suggests that a tiny phytoplankton that is an essential part of the marine food web may decline sharply as oceans warm. Prochlorococcus is the smallest and most abundant phytoplankton. A study published Monday in Nature Microbiology found that it could shrink by half in tropical oceans over the next 75 years if waters exceed 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Besides its crucial role in the marine food web, Prochlorococcus produces about one-fifth of the planet’s oxygen. The findings challenge previous assumptions that this phytoplankton would thrive in warmer waters. Researchers warn that the decline could have significant consequences for marine biodiversity and the global climate.

AP News