What is Ecological Dominance And Its Significance? | UPSC Environment

Ecological Dominance is an interesting aspect of ecology. It is the degree to which one or several species in the ecological community have a major influence. Today we will be discussing in detail about ecological dominance and some examples of ecological dominance. 

Ecological dominance is an exercise of an influence of superior control of one or more species on all the other species that inhabit the same ecosystem. For example, a plant or animal that is particularly abundant in a given area controls a significant portion of the energy flow within a community. 

Dominant species had an important role in the co-existence, distribution, and structuring of species. In ecology, species considered dominant have great population sizes as well as productivity as compared to their competitors. 

In the environment, the dominance of species depends on factors like moisture, groundwater condition, and temperature. The dominant species had an integral role, and it affects the distribution and survival of other species. 

Dominant species influence the local environment, distributing the spatial structure of the place in a certain way and regulating the existence of natural resources. The dominance of some species over others occurs when some living beings thrive in certain environments because of their compatibility with the climate and the natural resources that make life in the place. 

The dominant species is usually superior in obtaining resources that have greater resistance against diseases and successfully confronts predators of other species. The effect on the population is mainly done by the dominant plant species. The best example of ecological dominance is that the Andaman group of islands consists of 13 dominant species in tropical rain forests. 

There are two trees that are dominant in temperate areas, and they are oak and pine. In the tropics, tidal swamps are dominated by mangroves. In winter, many animals and birds migrate from colder to hotter regions. This makes them dominant over other species. 

So this is all about ecological dominance and their examples. In different regions, there are different species that dominate the other species and it is a natural process.

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• What is Ecotone And Its Significance? | UPSC Environment
• What is Food Web And Its Significance? | UPSC Environment

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