13.2 Succession Flashcards
What is succession?
A series of changes within a community
What is succession?
A series of changes within a community
Starts from barn rock to a climax community
What is the initial environment of succession like and what lives there?
Hostile
Only lichens and marram grass is adapted to the abiotic conditions
Name 4 climax communities
Coniferous, temperate, tropical rain forest
Grassland
Tundra
Desert
Pioneer species definition
The organisms that first colonise an area
Sere definition
A complete succession from pioneer community to9 climax community
Seral st
Seral stage definition
A particular stage in the succession with its own distinctive community of organisms
Climax community definition
The final stage in an ecological succession, stable and changes very little
Hostility definition
Climax community
The final stage in an ecological succession, stable and changes very little
Abiotic environment definition
Non living parts off the environment
Hostility definition
When abiotic factors are unfavourable and few species are adapted to survive these conditions
Diversity definition
The relationship between the number of individual organisms and number of species within the community
Diversity definition
The relationship between the number of individual organisms and number of species within the community
High diversity definition
Associated with a stable ecosystem and a complex food web
Low diversity definition
Associated with an unstable ecosystem and a less complex food web
Explain primary succession
The pioneer community are lichens and as they die they decompose they provide enough nutrients to support a small community of plants (mosses). erosion of the rock increases and the organic material builds up, allowing grasses to grow. The climax community is woodland and therefore a stable community is achieved.
Describe and explain how succession occurs
- Colonisation by lichens
- Change in environment
- Enables marram grass to colonise and survive
- Changes in diversity
- Stability and biodiversity increases
- Climax community represented by woodland
When does secondary succession occur?
After a forest fire or clearance of agricultural land
Doesn’t start with a pioneer species but instead an intermediate seres
What is deflected succession?
Occurs when the climax community is prevented from establishing as a result of management practices by humans
Plagioclimax definition
Climax stage of community which is influenced by humans
