- Ecological succession is the progression of life from an uninhabited state to a fully functional and healthy ecosystem.
- Ex: one community with certain species is gradually and predictably replaced by another community of diff species
- As succession progresses, species diversity and total biomass increases
- Succession can occur over long periods as climate changes and shorter periods when species alter habitat
- Both times, characteristics of an ecosystem that supported resident species no longer exist and habitat become favorable to new species
- Ex: one community with certain species is gradually and predictably replaced by another community of diff species
- Pioneer species: plants and animals that are first to colonize new habitat
- Usually opportunistic, r-selected species & those that can tolerate harsh conditions like nutrient-deficient soil
- As physical characteristics change, r-selected species gradually replaced by more stable k-selected species
- Live longer so environmental effects slow down rate of succession
- Climax community: Final successional stage where organisms remain stable
Two Kinds of Succession
- Primary succession: in habitats that never previously supported living things
- Start with protists and prokaryotes and end with grass
- Secondary Succession: in habitats where communities destroyed by disturbance