Lithosere and Hydrosere Flashcards
What is a Lithosere
A lithosere occurs when bare rock is progressively colonised as soil develops
What are seral stages
The series of relatively transitory plant communities that develop during ecological succession from bare ground to the climax stage
What are the seral stages of a lithosere (primary succession)
1) (mechanical weathering) Lichen (leave organic-rich mat)
2) Mosses
3) grasses and ferns (herb stage, soil forms)
4) Shrub
5) tree seral (climatic climax)
Lithoseres can be found where on the coast
emergent coastlines
How do seeds get to a lithosere
Birds, wind
Explain the first seral stage (lithosere)
Weathering occurs which breaks down rock to provided some minerals. COlinised by pioneer species such as lichen that can withstand hard conditions.
Explain the second seral stage (lithosere)
Increase in nutrients therefore mosses colinise and break down surface of the rock. Insects and birds feed on this. The access to humus and nutrients creates soil
Explain the third seral stage (lithosere)
lichen leave dense organic mat and now with soil arriving grasses and firns colinise.
Explain the fourth seral stage (lithosere)
more deposition and humus more soil therefore more competition form other specice. Humus can now absorb water
This helps growth of seeds and grases and firns grow to outcompete. Also flowering plants
Explain the fifth seral stage (lithosere)
Shrubs then outcompete
What is a hydrosere
Succession taking place in freshwater (non-soil environment)
What is each seral stage of a hydrosere
Stage 1: The deep water is colonised by a pioneer species such as algae, flying insects or birds.
Stage 2: Sediment get carried into the pond from rain water and this provides more biomass and humus from leaves.
Stage 3: Rooted plants colonise the edges of the pond and floating plants colonise the open water due to the better conditions and higher levels of nutrients. These new species like lilies etc are known are the early colonisers. Providing more shelter for other species.
Stage 4: sediment continues to build up as reeds surrounding the open water develop to form marshes on the pond margins, these reeds slowly expand inwards as the nutrient and humus levels increase inwards.
Stage 5: the soils around the edge start to dry and willow and ash trees begin to develop providing support, these trees remove more water from soil and oak trees begin to colonise
What is stage 1 of a hydrosere
Stage 1: The deep water is colonised by a pioneer species such as algae, flying insects or birds.
What is stage 2 of a hydrosere
Stage 2: Sediment get carried into the pond from rain water and this provides more biomass and humus from leaves.
What is stage 3 of a hydrosere
Stage 3: Rooted plants colonise the edges of the pond and floating plants colonise the open water due to the better conditions and higher levels of nutrients. These new species like lilies etc are known are the early colonisers. Providing more shelter for other species..
