Ecological Succession

• Gradual development of a community over time following predictable stages

• Primary or secondary

Primary Succession

• Begins in a place without any soil

• Arrival of PIONEER SPECIES– lichens, etc. do not need soil to survive

http://botit.botany.wisc.edu http://www.saguaro-juniper.com/

• Soil forms – Weathering and erosion break down rocks,

decomposition or organic material

http://www.life.uiuc.edu

• Simple plants grow– Mosses then later ferns

http://uisstc.georgetown.edu

http://www.uncw.edu

• Grasses, wildflowers, other plants begin to grow

http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu

• Shrubs and tress grow

http://www.rowan.edu

• Insects, small birds, and mammals move in

http://p2-raw.greenpeace.org

Secondary Succession

• In a place that has soil & living organisms – Example: after forest fires

• Faster

• Different pioneer species

http://www.geo.arizona.edu

http://www.ux1.eiu.edu

http://www.agen.ufl.edu

Climax Community

• End result of succession

• Stable group of plants and animals

• Not necessarily big trees– Ex: gasses in prairies, cacti in deserts

• Sequencing Succession– Put the pictures on your desk in order from the

beginning to the end of the succession sequence– Decide if it is primary or secondary succession– Explain the process

• Compare and contrast Primary and Secondary succession– What are the conditions?– How long does it take?– What does it start with?– What are the pioneers?

Primary Secondary