The article "Challenges in the Quest for Keystones" by M. E. Power, D. Tilman, J. A. Estes, B. A. Menge, W. J. Bond, and others discusses the identification and importance of keystone species in ecosystems. Keystone species are those whose impact on their community or ecosystem is large and disproportionately large relative to their abundance. The authors clarify the keystone concept, discuss its relevance to management, and suggest additional research needed. The article defines keystone species as those whose impact on their community or ecosystem is large and disproportionately large relative to their abundance. It introduces the concept of community importance (CI), which measures the change in a community or ecosystem trait per unit change in the abundance of the species. The authors also discuss the challenges in identifying keystone species, including the difficulty of measuring the effects of small changes in species abundance and the need for experimental field approaches to estimate interaction strength. The article also discusses the context dependency of keystone species, noting that their role can vary depending on environmental conditions. It highlights the importance of considering the dynamic fragility of communities and ecosystems when managing preserves. The authors emphasize the need for a cautious management strategy that takes into account potential surprises from small interventions or changes. The article concludes with a call for more research on the identification of potential keystone species and the development of a protocol for identifying them. It also highlights the importance of understanding the ecological processes that maintain whole communities or ecosystems and the need for a more comprehensive approach to conservation and management. The authors stress the importance of accelerating the feedback between science and management to ensure the long-term preservation of natural ecosystems.The article "Challenges in the Quest for Keystones" by M. E. Power, D. Tilman, J. A. Estes, B. A. Menge, W. J. Bond, and others discusses the identification and importance of keystone species in ecosystems. Keystone species are those whose impact on their community or ecosystem is large and disproportionately large relative to their abundance. The authors clarify the keystone concept, discuss its relevance to management, and suggest additional research needed. The article defines keystone species as those whose impact on their community or ecosystem is large and disproportionately large relative to their abundance. It introduces the concept of community importance (CI), which measures the change in a community or ecosystem trait per unit change in the abundance of the species. The authors also discuss the challenges in identifying keystone species, including the difficulty of measuring the effects of small changes in species abundance and the need for experimental field approaches to estimate interaction strength. The article also discusses the context dependency of keystone species, noting that their role can vary depending on environmental conditions. It highlights the importance of considering the dynamic fragility of communities and ecosystems when managing preserves. The authors emphasize the need for a cautious management strategy that takes into account potential surprises from small interventions or changes. The article concludes with a call for more research on the identification of potential keystone species and the development of a protocol for identifying them. It also highlights the importance of understanding the ecological processes that maintain whole communities or ecosystems and the need for a more comprehensive approach to conservation and management. The authors stress the importance of accelerating the feedback between science and management to ensure the long-term preservation of natural ecosystems.