1. Ecological Succession

2. Change and Ecosystems
Succession - A series of regular, predictable changes in the structure of a community over time.
Succession occurs because as organisms interact with their environment, they change it in ways that make it more suitable for other organisms
- the original organisms are then replaced and the process continues

3. Succession
Primary Succession - Begins with bare mineral surfaces or water and total lack of organisms.
- new volcanic rock
- receding glaciers

4. Primary Succesion
Begins with pioneer species – organisms like lichen which can survive on bare rock and break it down to begin forming soil
- as soil forms, the lichens are replaced
by small annual plants (plants that live
only one season before dying.
- the annuals continue the development of
soil, and are replaced by more substantial
plants – grasses and shrubs (perennials- plants
that can live for many years)

5. Primary Succession The process of change and replacement
continues until a Climax Community is reached
- once reached a climax community is considered stable – no change will occur as long as environmental conditions remain the same
- the process of primary succession is slow taking hundreds of years
- soil formation takes a great deal of time

7. Secondary Succession
Occurs in areas which already have soil but which have been disturbed
- an abandoned farm, burned or clear cut area are examples
- Secondary Succession is much more common than
primary succession
- like primary succession, secondary succession continues until a climax community is reached
-secondary succession occurs much more quickly
than primary succession. Why?

9. Aquatic Succession
Vegetation in a pond or lake dies and creates a rich organic sediment
- the sediment along with sediment deposited by wind and streams fills in the pond.
- the pond becomes a wet meadow
- the wet meadow is replaced by forest
and eventually climax is reached

11. Vocabulary to Master Succession
Primary Succession
Pioneer Species
Secondary Succession
Climax Community