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Dominant species are a defining characteristic of all ecosystems, which because of their high abundance control both community diversity and ecosystem function. While dominance remains an understudied aspect of ecology, dominant species are well suited to investigation at a network level given their ubiquity across ecosystems. In this working group we will examine patterns of dominance across the ecosystems of the LTER network, ranging from open ocean and lakes to grasslands and forests. We will begin with 20 minutes of lightning talks highlighting patterns of dominance across the LTER network, followed by a discussion of the cascading effect of global change on dominant species and a potential cross-network experimental manipulation of dominant species to test the mechanisms by which dominant species drive community interactions and ecosystem function. We aim to use this workshop as a jumping off point to develop a Research Coordination Network proposal.
