1. Ecological Succession
How do events and processes that occur during ecological succession change populations and species diversity?
Notes

2. Population Growth Patterns:
Populations grow in predictable patterns.

3. Changes in a population’s size.
The size of a population is always changing.
Four factors affect the size of a population.
immigration
births
emigration
deaths

4. Population growth is based on available resources.
Exponential growth is a rapid population increase due to an abundance of resources.

5. Logistic growth is due to a population facing limited resources.

6. Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals in a population that the environment can support.
A population crash is a dramatic decline in the size of a population over a short period of time.

7. Ecological factors limit population growth.
A limiting factor is something that keeps the size of a population down.
Density-dependent limiting factors are affected by the number of individuals in a given area.

8. Density-dependent limiting factors are affected by the number of individuals in a given area.
predation
competition
parasitism and disease

9. Density-independent limiting factors limit a population’s growth regardless of the density.
unusual weather
natural disasters
human activities

10. Ecological Succession:
Ecological succession is a process of change in the species that make up a community. Short term or long term and depends on the ecosystem.

11. Succession occurs following a disturbance in an ecosystem.
Succession regenerates after a disturbance or creates a community.
a sequence of biotic changes
damaged communities are regenerated
new communities arise in previously uninhabited areas

12. There are two types of succession:
primary succession — where no life excited before--started by pioneer species

13. There are two types of succession:
secondary succession — started by remaining species after a catastrophe. Regenerates a community.

14. Pond Succession

15. Succession in a pond Never reaches climax communities
Water plants begin to grow
sediment falls into the pond and the plant’s roots anchor the soil
Sediment will continue to fall in until the pond if filled in with soil which will eventually lead to grasses and trees

18. Succession lab hand out!