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Keystone Molecules Could Reframe How Ecologists Read Ecosystems
Key Takeaways
- A new perspective article argues that rare compounds can have outsized effects on ecosystems.
- The framework compares these chemicals to keystone species in ecology.
- Examples include sea slug defensive compounds and serotonin affecting switchgrass-root microbiomes.
- The paper calls for systematic methods to identify such molecules across soils, oceans, and freshwaters.
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DT Editorial Team··via phys.org