Succession

Describe what you see happening in

these 2 pictures:

What happens to a community

after a catastrophic event like a
fire, hurricane, flood, or volcano
disrupts the equilibrium of a
community?

Over time the community

starts to recover in a process
called succession.

 What is a community?
A community is all the different
organisms that live together in an
area.
What is equilibrium?
Equilibrium is a state of balance.
A community in an ecosystem is
in equilibrium when the numbers
and species of organisms in it do
not change suddenly.

What is succession?
(p.586)
Succession is the series of
predictable changes that occur in
a community over time.
There are 2 types of
succession:
1. Primary succession
2. Secondary succession

What is primary
succession?
p. 587

Primary succession is the

series of changes that occur in
an area where no ecosystem
previously existed.
Example on p. 587: A volcano
destroys an ecosystem so that
only rock and ash are leftover.

1.

What order do plants

grow back in primary
succession?
The first species to populate an area
are called pioneer species.

Pioneer species are often lichens and

mosses carried to the area by wind or
water.
These species can grow on bare rock
with little or no soil.
As these organisms grow they help break
up the rocks.
When they dies, they enrich the thin layer
of soil that is forming.

Order of Succession:
1. Lichens and mosses
2. Weeds and grasses grow in the thin
soil
3. Shrubs
4. Coniferous Trees (fast growing
trees)
5. Deciduous Trees
Once the coniferous trees die, there is
room for the large hardwood trees to
grow (oak, maple, walnut)

In your notebook
answer these
questions:
1. What is primary
succession?
2. What are the steps
of primary
succession?

What is secondary
succession?
p. 588

Secondary succession is the series

of changes that occur after a
disturbance in an existing ecosystem.
Examples: Fires, hurricanes and
tornadoes.
Human activities such as farming,
logging or mining may also disturb
and ecosystem and lead to succession

How is secondary
succession
different from primary
succession?

Unlike primary succession,

secondary succession occurs in
a place where an ecosystem
has previously existed.
Secondary succession occurs
somewhat more rapidly than
primary succession.

Succession in a pond:

What is the order of succession

for these ponds?

In your notebook answer

these questions:
1.What is secondary succession?
2.What are some causes of
secondary succession?
3.What is the difference between
secondary succession and
primary succession?