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Secondary Succession Overview

Ecological succession is a predictable series of events in a community over time, particularly after disturbances, and includes primary succession, which starts in areas without soil, and secondary succession, which occurs in existing communities with remnants of soil. Pioneer species, such as mosses and lichens, are the first to colonize barren areas, leading to the development of a climax community. The timeline for secondary succession is shorter, and ecosystems may vary in recovery after both natural and human-caused disturbances.

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12 views9 pages

Secondary Succession Overview

Ecological succession is a predictable series of events in a community over time, particularly after disturbances, and includes primary succession, which starts in areas without soil, and secondary succession, which occurs in existing communities with remnants of soil. Pioneer species, such as mosses and lichens, are the first to colonize barren areas, leading to the development of a climax community. The timeline for secondary succession is shorter, and ecosystems may vary in recovery after both natural and human-caused disturbances.

Uploaded by

Kelly Oddone
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Succession

Ecological Succession
A series of more-or-less predictable events that occur in a community over
time (new species grow/move in, populations change, some species die
out)
especially occurs after a disturbance
Primary Succession
Succession that begins in areas that have no remnants
of an older community
Always begins from an area with NO SOIL

Pioneer early mid late succession


Pioneer Species
The first species to colonize barren areas
Organisms with low nutrient requirements
(mosses, lichens, bacteria)

Lichen
Climax Community

A specific, uniform, and stable


community at the “end” of
succession
Secondary Succession
Succession that occurs when a disturbance affects an
existing community but doesn’t completely destroy it
has leftovers of soil from before disturbance

The timeline for secondary succession is much shorter.


Succession After Natural Disturbances
Patches of
climax
communities
may be in
different stages
of secondary
succession due
to multiple
disturbances.

December 2004 December 2014


Succession After Human-Caused
Disturbances

?
ecosystems may or may not recover from
extensive disturbances.

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