skip to main content

Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others: Keystone Species And Trophic Cascades

19 minutes 27 seconds

Videos are generally available for preview to non-members as short clips. Limited full-length titles are also available. Log In to view the full length title.

Browse Full-length Non-member Titles
Large fish with a spotted upper body and white underbelly swimming open-mouthed into a school of smaller fish. Caption: Each community is populated by different species.

What determines how many species live in a given place? Or how many individuals of the species can live somewhere? The research that provided answers to these questions was set in motion by the key experiments of ecologists Robert Paine and James Estes. Their research demonstrates just how fundamental keystone species and trophic cascades are in understanding ecology.

Media Details

Runtime: 19 minutes 27 seconds

Lights and gauges with display screens cover the walls. Illustration of energetic reaction drawn on top. Caption: it releases a lot of energy in the form of heat.
#askMIT
Episode 3
2 minutes
Grade Level: 10 - 12
A butterfly sits on a metal head. Caption: can see regular color images and near infrared.
4 Awesome Discoveries You Probably Didn't Hear About This Week
Episode 1
2 minutes 23 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
A self healing reverse filter. On screen text, 1 centimeter. 1 time real time, 7 to 3 ratio, D I water to glycerol, 0.0083 M S D S. Caption: and it self heals after the object passes.
4 Awesome Discoveries You Probably Didn't Hear About This Week
Episode 8
2 minutes 19 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
A 360 view of the clouds and the tree tops. Caption: Clouds play a pivotal role in our planet's climate,
4 Awesome Discoveries You Probably Didn't Hear About This Week
Episode 9
2 minutes 5 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
The illustration depicts the distress signals sent by the plant, when the caterpillar munches on its leaves. On screen text, Larva, Pieris rapae. Caption: Here's a caterpillar munching through a leaf.
4 Awesome Discoveries You Probably Didn't Hear About This Week
Episode 10
2 minutes 19 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
A graphical illustration of a star. Caption: reveal the inner workings of these rare stars,
4 Awesome Discoveries You Probably Didn't Hear About This Week
Episode 16
2 minutes 19 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
A group of people visiting an active volcano. Caption: scientists visited New Zealand's topol volcanic zone,
4 Awesome Discoveries You Probably Didn't Hear About This Week
Episode 17
2 minutes 19 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
A man with a shovel standing besides a water body. Caption: The team wants to see what other pollutants are recorded.
4 Awesome Discoveries You Probably Didn't Hear About This Week
Episode 18
2 minutes 17 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
Illustrations depict a cell placed above the graphene, which is illuminated by a light bulb. Caption: The more intense the light, the faster the cells beat.
4 Awesome Discoveries You Probably Didn't Hear About This Week
Episode 2
2 minutes 42 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
A biological skin and a bioinspired e skin. The e skin consists of synthetic layers instead of biological layers. Caption: work together to give our hands their extraordinary sensitivity.
4 Awesome Discoveries You Probably Didn't Hear About This Week
Episode 20
2 minutes 32 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12