Changes in Ecosystems:
Ecological Succession
There are two main types of
Ecological Succession
• Primary Succession: The process of
creating life in an area where no life
previously existed.
• Secondary Succession: The process of re-
stabilization that follows a disturbance in
an area where life has formed an
ecosystem.
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Definition:
• Natural, gradual changes in the types of
species that live in an area; can be
primary or secondary
• The gradual replacement of one plant
community by another through natural
processes over time
Primary Succession
• The development of an
ecosystem in an area that
has never had a
community living within it
occurs by a process
called PRIMARY
SUCCESSION.
• An example of an area in
which a community has
never lived before, would
be a new lava or rock
from a volcano that
makes a new island.
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Primary Succession
• Begins in a place without any soil
– In the beginning there is only rock, sand,
volcanic ash.
– Since there is no soil, there is no community.
Why is there no soil?
In order for there to be soil there must
be nutrients like nitrogen. So … why
is there no soil?
Primary Succession
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Primary Succession
• Lichens begin growing on the rocks. Over
many years lichens break down rock into
sand.
• Weathering and erosion break down rock
into sand.
Primary Succession
• Lichens that do not need soil to survive
• Called PIONEER SPECIES (Why?)
Primary Succession
• Lichens grow larger. Some die.
Decomposers arrive and break down the
lichens. The dead lichens and waste
materials of the decomposers enrich the
sand. Nitrogen cycle begins. Eventually
enough nutrients enter the sand and it
becomes soil.
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Primary Succession
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Primary Succession
• Seeds are blown in by the wind or carried
in by animals. Simple plants like mosses
can grow in the new soil
• The plants grow and the soil gets enriched
as plants die..
Primary Succession
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Primary Succession
• Herbs and weeds can grow in the thicker,
enriched soil
Primary Succession
• The simple plants die, adding more
organic material
• The soil layer thickens, and grasses,
wildflowers, and other plants begin to take
over
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Primary Succession
• Medium sized animals and birds make this their
habitat.
• The vegetation grows closer together, reducing
the amount of space available for growing.
• Competition between lichen and shrubs for the
same space. Eventually one species (lichen) will
die out (or move) and the
other species will survive
(shrubs).
Primary Succession
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Primary Succession
• These plants die, and they add more
nutrients to the soil
• Shrubs and tress can survive now
Primary Succession
• Insects, small birds, and mammals have
begun to move in
• What was once bare rock now supports a
variety of life
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Primary Succession
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Primary Succession
• These plants die, and they add more
nutrients to the soil
• Now larger trees can grow: Beech, Oak,
Walnut, Maple…
The Climax Community
• A climax community is a mature, stable community
that is the final stage of ecological succession. In an
ecosystem with a climax community, the conditions
continue to be suitable for all the members of the
community.
• Any particular region has its own set of climax
species, which are the plants that are best adapted
for the area and will persist after succession has
finished, until another disturbance clears the area.
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These are Climax Communities
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What if?
What if?
What if?
• An avalanche?
What if?
• Deforestation?
Threats to Climax Communities
• Forest Fires
• Humans building cities and roads
• Flooding, Volcanic eruptions
• Clearing a community for agricultural purposes
• Anything that destroys the existing community,
but much of the soil remains. Sometimes, some
of the organisms remain as well.
Secondary Succession
Secondary Seccession
Secondary Succession
• Organisms are destroyed but the soil is
safe.
• The soil already contains the seeds of
weeds, grasses, and trees. More seeds
are carried to the area by wind and birds.
• Succession begins again but the primary
species are different.
• Because soil is present, this succession is
faster.
Ecological Succession
•N
Secondary Succession on an
Abandoned Cornfield
Secondary Succession
• 1. Some seeds in the
soil begin to grow.
Secondary Succession
• Larger shrubs move in.
Secondary Succession
• 3. Fast growing trees
(such as pines) move
in
• 4. These are followed
by slower-growing
hardwood trees
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Climax Community
• A stable group of plants and animals that
is the end result of the succession process
• Does not always mean big trees
– Grasses in prairies
– Cacti in deserts
