Ecosystems at a Local Scale

Question 1

What is ecological succession?

Answer 1

The replacement of some species by others over time

Question 2

What is a seral stage?

Answer 2

A period in the succession when a particular type of vegetation is important or dominant

Question 3

What does an ecosystem form from a sterile area if uninterrupted?

Answer 3

A Climactic Climax Community

Question 4

What ecosystem will develop from fresh water?

Answer 4

Hydrosere

Question 5

What ecosystem will develop from salt water?

Answer 5

Halosere

Question 6

What ecosystem will develop from rocks?

Answer 6

Lithosere

Question 7

What ecosystem will develop from sand?

Answer 7

Psammosere

Question 8

What physical and chemical changes occur as you move inland

Answer 8

Increasing soil moisture
Decreasing filtration rates
Decreasing alkilinity of soil
Increase in humus
Increase in organic content
Increase in depth of soil

Question 9

What microclimate changes occur as you move inland?

Answer 9

Increasing height of vegetation
Decreasing wind speeds
Increasing temperatures

Question 10

What changes in vegetation coverage occur as you move inland

Answer 10

Decreasing percentage of bare ground.
Changes in vegetation coverage
Increasing biodiversity
Increasing vegetation height/layers.

Question 11

What is Stage 1 of Psammosere Succession?

Answer 11

Embryo Dunes - small patches of marram grass. Only a few pioneer species can cope with adverse conditions - salty, dry, nutrient-poor, extreme temperature variation

Question 12

What is Stage 2 of Psammosere Succession?

Answer 12

Mobile Dunes - Large areas of bare, moving sand but greater Marram Grass coverage

Question 13

What is Stage 3 of Psammosere Succession?

Answer 13

Semi-fixed Dunes - Smaller patches of bare sand with a greyish tinge; many plants besides marram grass.

Question 14

What is Stage 4 of Psammosere Succession?

Answer 14

Fixed Dunes - almost complete vegetation cover. Marram grass sparse; other species prevalent

Question 15

What is Stage 5 of Psammosere Succession?

Answer 15

Dune Slacks - Areas which develop when the sand becomes eroded enough to reach the water table. The area is prone to flooding in winter, and large numbers of rabbits keep the vegetation short. Blowouts possible.

Question 16

What is Stage 6 of Psammosere Succession?

Answer 16

Climax - sand dunes normally develop into scrub or woodland.

Question 17

What is a prisere?

Answer 17

An uninterrupted example of primary succession from a bare sterile area to a climax climactic community

Question 18

What is a Sub-climax Community?

Answer 18

If a prisere cannot develop into a climactic climax community due to natural arresting factors (steep relief, poor drainage) then the arrested community is called a sub-climax community. If the arresting factor is removed then it can continue into a climax community.

Question 19

What is a Relic Ecosystem?

Answer 19

An ecosystem wherein either an early-stage prisere has been damaged, or when a climax ecosystem has been suddenly displaced by logging or ploughing. This can be a type of Plagioclimax Ecosystem.

Question 20

What is a Plagioclimax Ecosystem?

Answer 20

When a climax ecosystem gets deflected, for example by grazing or other arable agricultural practices.

Question 21

What is Secondary Succession?

Answer 21

When plant colonisation can restart in an uninterrupted way following an event with a higher level of plant organisation.