Succession Flashcards
what are the types of succession
- primary
- secondary
- climax
describe primary succession
the colonisation of an environment where living organisms did not previously exist.
how does primary succession occur
occurs after a significant change in the environment
- volcanic eruption
- global retreat
describe what pioneer species are
first species to colonise the new area
what type of species are pioneer species
usually fungi, lichens, protists or bacteria
are pioneer species considered r-selected or k-selected species
R-selected species
- effective seed distribution
- rapid growth
- rapid reproduction
what is the role of pioneer species
the role is to establish the ecosystem by creating soils
describe secondary succession
the recolonisation of an area that has had a recent minor disturbance including mining, farming and fire
what do the areas where secondary succession species colonise have
they already have soils
what organisms colonised the areas before - secondary succession
colonised by the same organism that was previously there
what does the secondary succession establish
establish climax community faster than primary succession (50-100 years)
describe climax community
succession concludes when a climax community has been established
what type of species are climax community
they are stable, long-living species that inhabit the area. These species are usually very competitive and able to withstand small changes to the environment (k-selected)
describe a deflected species are
the interference by humans to prevent succession from proceeding
what does deflected species result in
a plagioclimax community
