Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

ENVIRO & ECOLOGY > Succession > Flashcards

Succession Flashcards

1
Q

What is succession

A

The process of change in the structure and composition of a biological community over time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What two types of factors govern a species’ distribution?

A

Biotic

Abiotic factors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What changes do communities undergo over time?

A 
Changes in:
Composition
Structure
Diversity 
Productivity
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What 4 ways can communities change over time

A
  • Dispersal of species to new habitat
  • New species replacing existing species
  • New growth becoming old growth
  • Disturbance events such as fire/ natural disasters
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Define primary succession

A

the colonisation of habitats devoid of life

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Where/ when does primary succession begin?

A

When an area is completely lifeless and soil has not yet formed i.e: barren rock/ rubble

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What organisms colonise an area first in primary succession (2)

A

Prokaryotes and heterotopic bacteria

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Which organism succeeds bacteria in primary succession?

A

Lichens and mosses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Describe the brief process of primary succession

A

Bacteria - Lichens and moss - grasses and shrubs - trees (Followed by animals etc)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What does soil form from?

A

Crumbled rock and organic matter

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What needs to form before shrubs can grow?

A

Soil

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How long can it take for sufficient soil to form?

A

100-1000s of years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Define secondary succession

A

The process of succession that occurs after an existing community is cleared by a disturbance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What type of succession occurs after a disturbance event?

A

Secondary

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What type of succession occurs in an area devoid of life?

A

Primary

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Is primary or secondary succession faster?

A

Secondary is faster

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

In a normal, functioning ecosystem, when does secondary succession stop?

A

It doesn’t

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is a disturbance?

A

A change in the composition and density of individuals in a community that shifts equilibrium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Give 3 examples of disturbances

A

Fire
Drought
Flood
Tree fall

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What process does secondary succession happen in

A

Clear forest - herbaceous plants - woody shrubs - forest growth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What are pioneer communities?

A

Early stage inhabitants of a community

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Which organisms start a stable ecosystem?

A

Pioneer communities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are climax communities?

A

Final stage inhabitants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What are climax communities defined by?

A

Climatic factors - i.e: vegetation zones

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What is late succession vegetation

A

mature communities that develop after early successional species

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What are the mature communities that develop after early successional species

A

Late succession vegetation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What are major vegetation zones

A

Distinctive groups of plants that live between certain heights

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What are the distinctive groups of plants that live between certain heights known as?

A

Major vegetation zones

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What are seral communities?

A

an intermediate stage before a climax community is reached

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What are the communities that appear at an intermediate stage before a climax community is reached called?

A

Seral communities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What do seral communities depend on?

A

The substratum (layer under the ground surface) and climate

32
Q

What is the substratum

A

The layer of substance beneath the ground

33
Q

What is a hydrosere?

A

Plant succession in an area of freshwater

34
Q

What is a Lithosere?

A

Plant succession that begins on a newly exposed rock surface

35
Q

What is a psammosere?

A

A seral community on a newly exposed coastal land / sand dunes

36
Q

What is a xerosere?

A

A seral community in an area limited by water availability / extremely dry areas - i.e: sand desserts

37
Q

Give 3 types of seral communities

A 
Any from:
Psammosere
Xerosere
Hydrosere
Lithosere
Halosere
38
Q

What is the name for a seral community in freshwater?

A

Hydrosere

39
Q

What is the name for a seral community in extremely dry conditions?

A

Xerosere

40
Q

What is the name for a seral community in sandy coastal areas?

A

Psammosere

41
Q

What is the name for a seral community on newly exposed rock?

A

Lithosere

42
Q

What is the name of the seral community in a saline body?

A

Halosere

43
Q

Where would you find a halosere?

A

Salt marshes

44
Q

What is a prisere?

A

A collection of seres making up the development of an area

  • from from non-vegetated surfaces to a climax community
45
Q

What is a sere?

A

The seral community

46
Q

when do primary and secondary AQUATIC succession occur

A

Primary - occurs when an area fills with water for first time

Secondary - occurs when a flood or excess nutrient runoff disturb the area

47
Q

What is the process of aquatic succession?

A

1) Phytoplankton stage - Algae and organisms add nutrients to water body - grow and support plants
2) Root submerged stage - Soil, fallen leaves and decaying matter pile on bottom of lake - lake becomes shallow and marshy
3) Eventually lake fills in creating grassy meadow

48
Q

What is aquatic succession?

A

When a body of water turns into land

49
Q

What are mesophytes?

A

Terrestrial plants which are neither adapted to particularly dry nor particularly wet environments

50
Q

Give an example of a mesophytic habitat

A

A rural temperate meadow

51
Q

What are the 7 stages of a hydrosere succeeding into a climax forest community ?

A

1) pioneer stage
2) Submerged stage
3) Floating stage
4) Reed swap stage
5) Marsh meadow stage
6) Woodland stage
7) Climax forest community (mesophytic)

52
Q

What are the 4 main stages of aquatic succession?

A

Phytoplankton stage
Submerged stage
Reed swap stage
sedge/ marsh meadow stage

53
Q

What is the berm / strandline?

A

The shoreline above present water level

54
Q

What is an embryo dune?

A

Where sand accumulation persists, perennial grasses may start to colonise and to stabilise the dune

55
Q

Describe 3 features of an embryo dune

A 
Any from:
Less than 1 meter high 
More than 80% exposed sand
Little humus or moisture
High saline
High wind exposure
56
Q

Describe 3 features of a mobile/ yellow dune

A

5 meters high
~20% sand exposure
Less saline - washed by rain water
Built by marram grass that traps sand

57
Q

Describe the features of fixed/ grey dunes

A

8-10 meters high (younger dunes)
5m high in older dunes
less than 10% exposed sand
more organic material, more nutrients, bettwe water retention
often closely grazed by rabbits, preventing shrubs
Rich plant and insect life

58
Q

Name 2 grass species found in embryo dunes

A

Sand couch grass

Lyme grass

59
Q

Name 2 grass species found in mobile / yellow dunes

A

Marram grass
Sea holly
Sea spurge

60
Q

Name 2 plant species found in young fixed dunes

A

Lichens and moss
Birdsfoot trefoil
Restharrow

61
Q

Name 2 plant species found in older fixed dunes

A

Lady’s bedstraw
Harebell
Sea buckthorn

62
Q

What are Connell and Slatyer’s 1977 3 models of succession?

A

1) early species facilitate later species by making environment more favourable
2) early species dominate enviro and inhibit later species establishment
3) later succession species grow slower and eventually replace earlier species

63
Q

What do all 3 of Connell and Slatyer’s 1977 models of succession include?

A

The focus of a pioneer species that produce lots of seeds, germinate early and grow quickly - (not how succession actually proceeds)

64
Q

What one thing causes succession

A

Changes in enviro conditions

65
Q

What are the two types of causes of succession?

A

Autogenic succession - driven by biological causes

Allogenic succession - driven by geophysical forces

66
Q

What is autogenic succession?

A

Succession driven by biological processes that modify conditions and resources caused by the plants themselves

67
Q

What does autogenic succession result in

A

secondary succession

68
Q

What mainly causes autogenic succession?

A

The plants themselves

Plants cause enviro conditions to change - leads to secondary succession

69
Q

What are 3 ways plants can cause autogenic succession?

A 
Competition for space 
Nutrients
pH changes
Water uptake
Shade creation
70
Q

What is allogenic succession?

A

Succession driven by geophysical forces

71
Q

What are 3 geophysical forces that can cause allogenic succession?

A 
Floods
Climate change
Fires
Erosion
Leaching
Drainage
DISTURBANCES
72
Q

What are the 3 factors that affect community change?

A

Rate of habitat modifications (i.e: rate of soil formation)
Dispersal of species
Disturbance

73
Q

How can disturbance be benefical?

A

Can be used to maintain species composition and diversity in conservation to artificially maintain habitats

74
Q

What does the intermediate disturbance hypothesis suggest?

A

That moderate disturbance has the greatest species diversity

75
Q

Why does the intermediate disturbance hypothesis ‘work’?

A

because low level disturbance results in only competitively dominant species surviving
high level disturbance prevents slow grazing species establishing
Intermediate maximises diversity by opening the occupation of less competitive species

76
Q

How does small scale disturbance affect community structure?

A

Creates of different habitats (maintains diversity)

77
Q

How does large scale disturbance affect community structure?

A

disturbances natural part of many communities ???

ENVIRO & ECOLOGY (24 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions