Vital to Earth! Keystone Species Explained

In the Vital to Earth! Keystone Species Explained series, readers get a chance to learn about plants and animals that play important roles in their ecosystems. Beavers highlights these adorable creatures’ skill at building ponds and dams, which, in turn, help protect the wetlands where they and countless other creatures live. Mangrove Trees showcases how these fantastically rooted trees adapted to living in saltwater, allowing them to protect coastlines and inland bodies of water in addition to creating healthy habitats for plants and animals alike. In Prairie Dogs, readers will learn more about this chipper ground squirrel, which inhabits grasslands stretching from Canada to northern Mexico and whose landscaping habits result in healthy soil and burrows for myriad critters. Sea Otters looks at the food web within kelp forests, explaining how otters’ diet of kelp-munching creatures keeps these marine forests from disappearing. Each book offers an easy, quick, and informative read and ends with lessons on how people can save these species and their ecosystems. A glossary and further-reading list concludes, the latter also featuring a QR code linking to online resources. This series will make a solid addition to science collections and help students learn about the flora and fauna that keep the natural world in balance.

Each animal (plus one plant) is introduced primarily in terms of its crucial ecological role as a keystone species. In Sea Otters, for example, readers learn about the environmental importance of kelp forests, then discover the otters’ unique ability to hunt the sea urchins that feed on kelp. The second half of each book looks at threats to the keystone species, potential dangers if they can’t fill their roles, and efforts by humans to protect them.

Clearly written text covers various ways that these species fit into their ecosystems. Prairie dogs, for instance, keep soil healthy, aiding grazers, birds, and insects, and also serve as the single food source for black-footed ferrets (Prairie Dogs). Large photographs depict the environments and the ways that animals interact with it. A final spread offers tips for readers to help preserve the species.

VERDICT: Clear, well-organized introductions to keystone species and their habitats.