Succession in Ecosystems

Succession- a series of changes in a community in which new populations of organisms gradually replace existing ones

Primary succession- colonization of new sites by communities of organisms – takes place on bare rock

Primary succession- New bare rock comes from 2 sources: 1. volcanic lava flow cools and forms rock

Primary succession- New bare rock comes from 2 sources: 2. Glaciers retreat and expose rock

Pioneer organisms- the first organisms to colonize a new site Ex: lichens are the first to colonize lava rocks

Primary Succession- Rock

Climax community- a stable, mature community that undergoes little or no succession

Climax community- Ex: In most of Michigan, the climax community would be a deciduous oak–hickory forest                                                                                                                                 

Primary succession-

Secondary succession- sequence of community changes that takes place when a community is disrupted by natural disaster or human actions – takes place on existing soil

Secondary succession- Ex: A fire levels portions of a forest

Secondary succession- Ex: A farmer plows his field

Secondary succession-

Secondary succession-

POND SUCCESSION

Pond Succession

Possible summary ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION IS WHEN SPECIES INHABIT AN AREA AFTER ONE ANOTHER. THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF SUCCESSION ONE IS PRIMARY SUCCESSION THAT IS WHEN PLANT MATERIAL FIRST GROWS FROM ROCK (NOT OUT OF ROCK). THE SECOND IS SECONDARY SUCCESSION THIS IS THE RESULT OF A NATURAL DISASTER (FIRE) BOTH INCLUDE A GRADUAL CHANGE OVERTIME IN A GIVEN AREA. A CLIMAX COMMUNITY IS ONE THAT UNDERGOES LITTLE OR NO CHANGE (FOREST). A PIONEER SPECIES IS THE FIRST ORGANISM TO INHABIT A GIVEN AREA (MOSSES)