dominant species
Top of ecosystem
A dominant species is one that exerts the greatest influence on its ecosystem through abundance, size, or ecological impact.
In a forest, the dominant species might be the trees that form the canopy and shape conditions for everything below.
The term extends beyond biology: Humans have become the dominant species on Earth.
In science fiction, it often appears in discussions of which creature controls a planet or territory.
- apex predatorUnpreyed-upon dominant hunter
- king of the jungleLion's traditional title
- alpha maleDominant group leader
- survival of the fittestAdaptive advantage perpetuates species
- natural selectionDifferential reproductive success
adaptability · competitive advantage · resilience · domesticated animals · human impact · freshwater algae · genetic diversity · social hierarchy · pecking order · territoriality · extinction · ecological niche · ecological balance · food web · habitat modification
- plant ecologysymbiosis, mutualism, parasitism, nitrogen fixation, commensalism
dominant speciesrare species
Organism with few remaining
endangered species · threatened species · extinct species · vulnerable species · relict species
dominant speciesprey species
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