Succession

Question 1

What is a Sere?

Answer 1

A stage in succession?

Question 2

What is a pioneer species?

Answer 2

First species to colonise an area

Question 3

What is a climax community?

Answer 3

Final stage in succession and most stable

Question 4

What is an adaptation?

Answer 4

An adjustment to a species to enable it to survive in an area

Question 5

What is the first stage of primary succession?

Answer 5

Moss/lichens grow from spores coming from the wind, birds, the sea, etc. and break up the rock and die and decompose making a thin soil so grass can grow.

Question 6

What cycle happens in succession after the pioneer stage? (After grass has grown)

Answer 6

Grass dies, making thicker soil that can accomodate bigger plants, which then die to make the soil even richer so even bigger plants can survive.

Question 7

How is the climax community formed in primary succession?

Answer 7

Once trees can survive and outcompete any other species, they create a canopy so floor level plants are replaced with shade tolerant plants, creating a stable and complex layered community with many trophic levels (Climax Community)

Question 8

What is secondary succession?

Answer 8

Succession which occurs after a massive disaster like a forest fire, so plants grows on the ashes of old ones. Main difference is starting with soil but no plants.