We often hear about efforts to support and conserve rare species, like the spotted owl or Joshua trees. But argue that some very ordinary plants and animals deserve our attention, too.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder monitored plants and pollinator species in a Colorado mountain meadow for more than five years. They found a complex web of interactions, with so-called 鈥済eneralist鈥� species at the center 鈥� that is, species that interact with a bunch of other kinds of species.

That includes insects like flies and flowering plants like the common yarrow, which has a little platform of white flowers.

Julian Resasco led that research. He said those kinds of plants and insects persist across larger areas and time frames.

鈥淭hey kind of act as these linch pins or anchor points that are really important for supporting a lot of biodiversity of plants and pollinators,鈥� he said.

Ultimately, Resasco said they could help stabilize an ecosystem and help rarer species as the climate changes.

鈥淐ommon species are easy to overlook because we see them everywhere,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to forget how important they are.鈥�

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