Ecological Succession

Question 1

Keystone species

Answer 1

• actions have a particularly significant role in determining community structure
  (EX: wolves in the Yellowstone National park ecosystems)

Question 2

Indicator species

Answer 2

a plant or animal that, by its presence, abundance, scarcity, or chemical composition, demonstrates that some distinctive aspect of the character or quality of an ecosystem is present
(Ecoli’s presence at beaches is a good indicator of human waste potentially being in the water)

Question 3

Secondary Succession

Answer 3

The succession of plant life that occurs in areas that have been disturbed but have not lost their soil.

Question 4

Pioneer Species

Answer 4

• outcompete established vegetation that survived the disturbance
• broad ecological tolerance
• adaptable - can pass on beneficial genetic traits quickly
• over time they begin to alter conditions that will make it more favorable for new species

Question 5

How do successive plant communities modify the habitat?

Answer 5

Successive plant communities modify the habitat by altering the soil nutrients, amount of shade (earlier plants grow well in sunlight, later plants have the shade of taller trees) and habitat.

Question 6

How does a plant’s ability to take in sunlight affect its position in succession?

Answer 6

As more and more trees grow, plants on the bottom will receive less sunlight. Thus, usually, plants that grow the best with great sunlight will be early in the succession process and die off as taller trees grow.