Community Ecology IV Flashcards
Ecological succession
What is primary succession?
Succession in an area where no organisms are present
What is secondary succession?
Succession in an area where a biological community is partially intact
What is degradative succession?
Succession on or in dead or dying organic matter
What would be an example of primary succession?
After major disturbance or introduction of ‘virgin’ habitat
e.g. pontoons as artificial substrate –> control (pontoon in water for some time), unfouled (new habitats)
What is an example of secondary succession?
Extreme wave exposure on rocky shores, Dayton 1973:
–- Bare rock -> opportunistic algae (pioneer species) -> perennial algae -> acorn barnacles -> goose barnacles and acorn barnacles -> mussels (dominant)
What is The Climax State?
The emergent stable community in a successional series is called the climate state, which is self-perpetuating and in equilibrium with the physical and biotic environment
What is the monoclimax hypothesis?
Only one climate community toward which all communities are developing
What is the Polyclimax hypothesis?
Many climax communities may be recognised in an area
What is the climax-pattern hypothesis?
Natural community is adapted to the environmental factors
What are alternative stable states?
Some ecosystems can exist under multiple ‘states’ (hotly debated topic in ecology)
- Non-transitory = ‘stable’ over ecologically-relevant timescales
What is an example of the implications of biogenic habitats?
Implications for kelp aquaculture:
–– Kelp can be fouled with ascidian epibionts
Study example: Walls et al 2017: ecological study, comparing 2 years, shows when species arrive over each year, close to line so can be predictable
What is an example of recovery in ecological succession?
Disturbance from pollution, Rosenburg 1976
– Closure of pulp mill 1966
— 8 years to recover to pre-disturbance state
—- Predictable sequence through serial stages
What are the 4 Rs?
Reservation
Restoration
Rehabilitation
Reconciliation
