In a certain ecosystem, the number of cheetahs is lower as compared to their prey, gazelles. If the cheetahs disappeared from this ecosystem, then the number of gazelles will increase. This will disrupt the ecosystem of the forest because the gazelles will compete for limited food resources and possibly exhaust them. In this scenario, what type of species are cheetahs?

a keystone species

Explanation:

A keystone species is a species that plays a key role in the balance of the entire ecosystem. Some examples of keynote species that are critical for their ecosystems include sharks, African elephants, sea otters, etc. The most important feature that defines a keynote species is the fact that these species have a huge influence on the food web dynamics. Moreover, keystone species are also characterized by a low functional redundancy (ie., they cannot be replaced by other species within the ecosystem).