Download - Objective: Understand the Concept of Ecological Succession Key Words: Ecological Succession, draining a marsh, clearing woodland to grow crops, strip mining

Objective: Understand the Concept of Ecological SuccessionKey Words: Ecological Succession, draining a marsh, clearing woodland to grow crops, strip mining.

Do Now: •Describe the picture•What would happen to this ecosystem area in 30 years? (Assuming no natural disaster or human interference)

1. Describe the sequence of pictures.


Sequence of communities that replace each other over time

2. What types of human activities could cause the change from C to D in the diagram?Logging, strip mining, deforestation, clearing woodland to grow crops or graze livestock,


Draining a marsh Strip mining Clearing woodland to grow crops

3. What types of natural events could cause that change as well?

A severe storm, hurricane, wildfire, earthquake, volcanic eruption, tornado, drought, tsunami, flooding.


4. Arrange the following events as natural disasters or human activities that can be responsible for disrupting an ecosystem.

•Logging, flood, wildfire, tornado, draining a marsh, clearing woodland to grow crops, removing a beaver dam, a severe storm, hurricane, earthquake, •volcanic eruption, graze livestock, drought, strip mining, Tsunami, deforestation

Draining a marsh Strip mining Clearing woodland to grow crops


•Deforestation•Logging, •draining a marsh, •clearing woodland to grow crops,•removing a beaver dam,•graze livestock, •strip mining,

4. Arrange the following events as natural disasters or human activities that can be responsible for disrupting an ecosystem.

Natural disasters

Human

activities

•flood.•wildfire, •tornado,•a severe storm, •hurricane, •earthquake, •volcanic eruption, •drought, •Tsunami

• Logging, • flood.• wildfire, • tornado,• draining a marsh, • clearing woodland to grow crops,• removing a beaver dam,• a severe storm, • hurricane, • earthquake, • volcanic eruption, • graze livestock, • drought, • strip mining, • Tsunami• deforestation,


5. Predict what would happen to the soil and vegetation of the ecosystem shown after stage F, assuming no natural disaster or human interference.

I predict the ecosystem will fully recover. •First, grasses and shrubs will grow; then soil will become thicker so it can support small trees.•Then, small trees and shrubs will spread in the area; that will thicken the soil as well.•Finally, a dense forest will be established for a long period of time.


Ecological Succession is the natural process in which one community of plants and animals gradually replaces another, in response to changing environmental conditions.

6. What is an ecological succession?



Do Now: •Describe the picture•What would happen to this ecosystem area in 30 years? (Assuming no natural disaster or human interference

_______________________ Cattails, bulrishes, and water lilies grow in the pond. These plants have their roots in the bottom of the pond, but they can reach above the surface of the water. This pond is an ideal habitat for the animals that must climb to the surface for oxygen. Aquatic insect larvae are abundant. They serve as food for larger insects, which in turn are food for crayfish, frogs, salamanders, and turtles.

_______________________ Decayed bodies of plants and animals form a layer of humus over the bottom of the pond. Chara, a branching green algae, covers the humus. Fish that build nests on the bare bottom have been replaced by those that lay their eggs on the Chara.

_______________________ Plankton growth is rich enough to support animals that entered when the pond was connected to the lake. Fish make nests on the sandy bottom. Mussels crawl over the bottom.

_______________________ The pond is so filled with vegetation that there are no longer any large areas of open water. Instead, the pond is filled with grasses. The water dries up during the summer months.

Stage A

Stage D

Stage C

Stage B

Logging, strip mining, deforestation, draining a marsh, clearing woodland to grow crops or graze livestock, removing a beaver dam,…

A severe storm, hurricane, wildfire, earthquake, volcanic eruption, tornado, drought, tsunami, flood.

Stages C – D – A -- B

They will be found in a stage C pond

They will eventually die since no eggs will hatch on a organic debris bottom

They will be found in a stage D pond

They will be found in a stage B pond

They will be found in a stage A pond

They will be found in a stage A pond

They will die out in a stage D pond

We observe an ecological succession in that area of Michigan.In the first stage we can observe grasses and small shrubs, then small trees and bushes. After that, it develops into a dense forest.

Ecological Succession.

As more soil accumulated (from the decomposition of dead vegetation), plants with deeper root systems could live there and shade out the earlier plants.

Cutting the forest / clearing the land for crops / controlled burn / causing forest fires / pollution

There will be an ecological succession.

OR The soil depth will increase and trees will be present.

OR The soil will change in composition and the plant species will change.

Download - Objective: Understand the Concept of Ecological Succession Key Words: Ecological Succession, draining a marsh, clearing woodland to grow crops, strip mining

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