Primary succession (Plants)

Question 1

Inert environment

Answer 1

Sand dune
Volcanic flow
Bare rock

Question 2

Primary succession

Answer 2

Starts in inert environment

Question 3

Pioneer plants

Answer 3

First to be able to live in inert environments

Question 4

Examples of inhospitable conditions

Answer 4

Glaciers melt and leave behind bare rock, rocks get hot in the day and cold at night, rocks don’t absorb much water and water evaporates quickly in the heat. essential minerals are inside rock and cannot be accessed

Question 5

Lichen

Answer 5

pioneer species
symbiotic (fungi and green algae)
can withstand severe conditions
optimal conditions: stable and well lit
can dissolve necessary minerals out of rock as it grows
helps degrade rock into soil using chemicals to speed up the process
outcompeted by other plants once they have created enough soil because they don’t get enough light anymore

Question 6

Moss

Answer 6

grow in cracks along rock
hold soil and water essential nutrients for growth
make soil more suitable for seed bearing plants

Question 7

Succession

Answer 7

Living species can cause impact on environment and an altered environment can change suitable conditions and other species become dominant

Question 8

Climax population

Answer 8

stable community created at the end of succession
prominent species has adapted so that no other species can take over
different kinds based on climate conditions (rainfall, temp…)

Question 9

Process of succession

Answer 9

1. moss and lichen improve quality of soil
2. soil is suitable for grasses
3. grasses split rocks with deep roots
4. split rock has more surface area exposed to elements and weathering
5. water held in plants also held in soil
6. grasses add organic material to soil
7. decomposition and recycling add more minerals to soil
8. environment doesn’t flucuate as much and small animals and insects can live there
9. shrubs, pines and cedars start to grow
10. once trees are tall, it is no longer sunny and so the environment shifts to a shady one
11. shade loving plants start to grow- oaks, maples, hickories