Succession Flashcards
Outline the 3 main stages of the nutrient cycle
Biomass, litter, soil
What is the humus layer?
Weathered rock that supplies nutrients to the soil
Define succession
A series of changes that take place in a plant community over time
Define vegetation succession
Composition of vegetation in an ecosystem depending on natural and human factors
Define ecological succession
Vegetation at a certain site changes over time and because more diverse
Define primary succession
A species will colonise a previously in-colonised site
Define secondary succession
Changes in vegetation occur due to the original being destroyed
What is the climatic climax theory?
After initial colonisation, they provide nutrients in the soil after decomposing, allowing more complex species to grow
In order, what are the stages of ecological succession?
Sere, pioneer species, establishment and climatic climax
What is the pioneer species for psammosere succession?
Lyme grass (halophytic)
What is Lyme grass resistant to? (Psammosere)
Salty conditions
Outline the main stages of psammosere succession
Embryo dune, fore dune, main dune, gray dune and climatic climax
Was flora is found on the fore dune? (Psammosere)
Marram grass
What adaptations are in the flora of the fore dune? (Psammosere)
Extensive rhizome system, lateral roots, xerophytes, waxy cuticles
What happens to the soil at the main dune? (Psammosere)
Marram grass has binded the soil so and humus increases through decay
Why is the gray dune coloured that way? (Psammosere)
Nutrient content is so high
What is the pioneer species in halosere succession?
Blue green algae
What adaptations do pioneer species have in halosere succession?
Resistant to salty conditions
When is a plagioclimax reached?
When human interruption causes succession to be maintained at a subclimax
Outline the process of halosere succession
Colonisation bind mud to the surface, pioneer plants grow, lavender will take over, climatic climax
Pioneer species for lithosere succession?
Moses and lichens
Outline the process of lithosere succession?
Organic acids corrode the bare rock releasing minerals for growth, growth of moss, germination of seeds, climatic climax
What is the pioneer species for hydrosere succession?
Algae e.g elodea
Outline the process of hydrosere succession
Phytoplankton on surface of water that settles at the bottom to decay, submerged stage, plants with rhizomes, marsh meadow and climatic climax
