indicator species
Americannoun
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A species whose presence, absence, or relative well-being in a given environment is a sign of the overall health of its ecosystem. By monitoring the condition and behavior of an indicator species, scientists can determine how changes in the environment are likely to affect other species that are more difficult to study.
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Compare keystone species
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was a meadow pipit, a protected bird in China, and an important "indicator species" - that means if its numbers are thriving, so is its environment.
From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2025
Polar bears are what is known as an indicator species, meaning they predict the health and viability of the broader Arctic ecosystem.
From New York Times ● Jun. 13, 2024
In future, exploration teams could build up a database of indicator species and test an unknown site to find out if kimberlite deposits are buried beneath the soil.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2023
Sage grouse are chicken-sized, ground-dwelling birds considered an indicator species for the health of vast sagebrush landscapes in the West that support some 350 species of wildlife.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 16, 2022
The Klamath Tribes, who also have fish hatcheries of their own, say the c’waam and koptu are indicator species that show the entire Klamath Basin is in ecological jeopardy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2021
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
