ecosystems engineers

Ecosystem engineers are organisms that significantly alter their environment, creating, modifying, or maintaining habitats in ways that affect other species. Their activities can change the physical landscape, such as building nests or burrows, shaping soil, or influencing water flow. This transformation can benefit or sometimes harm other plants and animals, helping to structure entire ecosystems. Examples include beavers building dams that create wetlands and coral colonies forming complex underwater structures. By actively changing their surroundings, ecosystem engineers play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and ecological health.