vegetation succession

Question 1

seral stages

Answer 1

a sere is the series of biotic communities formed by process of ecosystem development called succession (from bare ground to the climax stage)

Question 2

climatic climax vegetation

Answer 2

the dominant plant species at the end of a phase of plant succession that reaches a state of ecological equilibrium appropriate to the climate experienced there (eg a deciduous forest in the UK)

Question 3

plagioclimax vegetation

Answer 3

area of habitat in which the influences of humans has prevented the ecosystem from developing further. the ecosystem may have stopped from reaching its full climatic climax by activities such as;
- cutting down existing vegetation
- burning as a means of clearance
- planting trees or crops
- grazing and trampling by domesticated animals
- harvesting planted crops

Question 4

what are the factors called that stop an ecosystem from reaching its full climatic climax

Answer 4

arresting factors
human activity has led to a community which is not the climax community expected in such an area. if the human activity continues, the community will be held in a stable, plagioclimax position and further succession will not continue until human activity ceases

Question 5

the invasion of plants is called…

Answer 5

colonisation
the first plant to arrive is called the pioneer species. this is the first step in a sequence of changes that will eventually produce the climatic climax vegetation. this is a process of succession and the whole sequence is called a sere. each step in this is called a serial stage

Question 6

an example of vegetation succession

Answer 6

following a landslide, rock surfaces exposed
- no plants can grow
- however, pioneering lichens and simple mosses may survive by obtaining nutrients from the rock itself and rainwater

Question 7

what is meant by primary succession

Answer 7

if a succession continues uninterrupted by natural events or human activity from pioneer to climax, it is termed primary succession

Question 8

what is meant by secondary succession

Answer 8

if it is disturbed this renews a succession sequence as a secondary succession. eg fires, landslides, flows of lava, volcanic arc