4.4 Chapter Summary

This chapter explored the intricate relationships and roles of native species within ecosystems. You should understand the following:

• The concept of coevolution and how species mutually influence each other’s evolution, using examples like pollinators and flowering plants to illustrate these adaptive processes.
• The diverse roles of native species, such as keystone species and ecosystem engineers, and their crucial contributions to maintaining ecological balance and supporting biodiversity through various interactions like predation, competition, and mutualism.
• The issue of species at risk and the factors that lead to the decline of native species populations include habitat loss, pollution, and climate change.