Are foundation species effects different than those of dominant species? A case study of ant assemblages in northeastern North American forests

23. CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license peer-reviewed) is the author/funder. It is made available under a The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not. 28 29. CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license peer-reviewed) is the author/funder. It is made available under a The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not. Abstract 30 Foundation species uniquely control associated biodiversity through non-trophic effects, whereas 31 dominant species are locally abundant but are replaceable in ecological systems. Long-term data 32 on ant assemblages at the Harvard Forest Hemlock Removal Experiment (HF-HeRE) and the 33 Black Rock Future of Oak Forests Experiment (BRF-FOFE) provide insights into how ant 34 assemblages change and reassemble following the loss of a foundation species (Tsuga 35 canadensis) or a dominant genus (Quercus). At HF-HeRE, removal of T. canadensis trees 36 resulted in taxonomic and functional shifts in ant assemblages relative to control stands. In 37 contrast, ant assemblages at BRF-FOFE varied little regardless of whether oaks or non-oaks were 38 removed from the canopy. Non-trophic effects of foundation species were stronger than indirect 39 trophic effects on taxonomic and functional diversity of ant assemblages. In contrast, non-trophic 40 effects of dominant species were weaker than indirect trophic effects on ant taxonomic diversity 41 and some measures of ant functional diversity. 42. CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license peer-reviewed) is the author/funder. It is made available under a The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not .