11. Communities are Always Changing Flashcards

1
Q

What is “succession” in an ecological context?

A

directional and continuous patters of colonization and extinction at a site, (not random changes)

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2
Q

Why does succession happen?

A

changes in resources and microclimate (ex. ecological niches)

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3
Q

What is primary succession?

A

development from barren land, includes the development of the pioneer species

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4
Q

What are the steps in secondary succession?

A

pioneer species (they get there faster than others) -> intermediate species -> climax community

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5
Q

What does secondary succession of an oak and hickory forest entail?

A

pioneer species: annual plants grow and are succeeded by grasses and perennials

intermediate species: shrubs, then pines, and young oak and hickory begin to grow

climax community: the mature oak and hickory forest remains stable until the next disturbance

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6
Q

What do balance and flux mean pertaining to nature?

A

balance of nature: disturbance is infrequent

flux of nature: disturbance is frequent (this is the state most communities are in)

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7
Q

What is the intermediate disturbance hypothesis?

A

no disturbance: climax community, high biodiversity (but not the highest - natural disturbance keeps biodiversity high)

too much disturbance: pioneer species, low biodiversity

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8
Q

How do humans affect disturbances in forests?

A

our suppression of fires means less disturbances in forests

we started putting out too many fires and this resulted in an accumulation of ‘fuel’ that has turned into a major wildfire issue

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9
Q

Are fires good for biodiversity?

A

small fires are because they are able to get rid of the ‘fuel’ without restarting (primary) succession

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10
Q

How did fires occur in a pre-colonial world?

A

Indigenous peoples knew what we had to learn the hard way, they actively managed the land via controlled fires

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11
Q

What are the implications of this lesson?

A

the active management of parks is often required

communities can rebound from natural disturbance so they can also rebound from human disturbance

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