Changing Biological Communities – Disturbance and Succession1

A biological community consists of all the types of organisms that live in a given area. The different
types of organisms in a community interact and influence each other in multiple ways. Two
important types of interaction are consumption (e.g. some birds eat insects) and competition (e.g.
plants compete for sunlight).

1. Complete this table to give additional examples of consumption and competition for the
organisms in a forest in the northeastern US (e.g. trees, bushes, deer, squirrels, spiders and insects).
Type of Interaction Examples

Consumption

Competition

A biological community often appears to stay the same from one year to the next. However, over
periods of decades or centuries, many biological communities show major changes.

A biological community may be disrupted by a disturbance such as a flood, volcanic eruption or

human activity (e.g. removing trees and plowing to prepare a field for farming). After the
disturbance ends, a biological community typically changes by natural processes; this type of
change is called succession.
Often, succession gradually restores a biological community so it becomes similar to the community
that existed before the disturbance. For example, when a farm field in the northeastern US is no
longer used for farming, succession often gradually restores a forest community.

Succession on abandoned
farm fields in the
northeastern US

- e.g. Oaks

Annual and perennial plants and grasses are herbaceous plants (plants with soft stems). Shrubs and trees have
woody stems. (http://www.quia.com/files/quia/users/rebekahking1/Activities/succession/secondary_succession)

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By Dr. Ingrid Waldron, Dept. Biology, University of Pennsylvania, © 2015. This Student Handout and Teacher Notes with learning goals,
instructional suggestions and background information are available at http://serendipstudio.org/exchange/bioactivities/succession .
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This graph shows the trends in the types of plants in fields that had not been
farmed for 1-60 years. Herbaceous plants have soft stems (e.g. the grasses
and goldenrod shown in the photo). Trees and shrubs have woody stems. It
typically takes a decade or two for a tree to develop from seedling through
the juvenile sapling stage.

80
= % of area
70 covered by
herbaceous plants
60 = % of area
50 covered by
shrubs, vines, and
40
tree seedlings or
30 saplings
= % of area
20
covered by trees
In any year, the area covered
10 at least 8 m tall by all the different categories
of plants can add up to more
0 than 100% if some areas have
0 20 40 60 Years 80
more than one layer of plants,
e.g. tall trees with seedlings,
(Data for fields in northwestern New Jersey from Ecological Monographs 22:195-215, 1952) saplings, shrubs or herbaceous
plants growing underneath.

2. Use the information from the graph to complete this table.

Year Main type of plant you would see Other types of plants in the field
Last year of farming Farm crop (e.g. corn) Some weeds (e.g. grasses, goldenrod)

5 years after farm field

abandoned

60 years after farm field

abandoned

3. Explain why there are no or very few tall trees in an abandoned farm field in the first decade after
the field is no longer farmed.

During the first decade after these farm fields had been abandoned, most of the area was covered
by herbaceous plants that grow and reproduce rapidly and grow well in full sun. This flowchart
shows how these herbaceous plants became common in these abandoned farm fields.

Seeds from herbaceous plants in and Seedlings of herbaceous plants grow

near the field sprout to seedlings in rapidly and develop into mature
the abandoned farm field. plants that produce seeds.
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4a. By 40-60 years after farm fields had been abandoned, the amount of herbaceous plants
decreased. Give one reason why the amount of herbaceous plants decreased as the amount of
trees increased.

4b. The types of herbaceous plants changed at different times during succession. For example,
ragweed (which grows well in full sun and completes its life cycle in one year) was very common in
the first year after a farm field was abandoned, but less common in later years. In contrast, wild
strawberry (which can grow in partial shade and grows back each spring from its roots) was more
common in years 25-40. Explain the likely reasons for these changes in the types of plants at
different times during succession.

Notice how the growth of trees changes the environment in ways that influence which other plants
grow in a biological community. The growth of trees also influences which types of animals live in a
biological community. For example, forests provide food for white-tailed deer, so these deer
become more common in areas that have some forest.

5. The animals in a biological community

Seeds from nearby Tree seedlings grow
can influence the growth and
trees sprout and and develop into
reproduction of different types of plants
develop into tree tall trees which
and this can influence plant succession.
Use the information in this flowchart to seedlings. produce seeds.
to produce
explain how a large population of white- Eat
seedlings.
tailed deer can reduce the growth and
Especially in the fall and winter, deer eat
reproduction of trees and thus can slow
nuts (which contain tree seeds), tree
the rate of development of forests seedlings, leaves and tips of branches.
during succession.

6. An article in a New Jersey newspaper claimed that the damage caused by logging is permanent
and the forest ecosystem never recovers. (An ecosystem includes the physical environment as well
as the biological community in an area.) The reporter supported his claim with photos that showed
(1) the forest ten years ago, just before all the trees were cut and (2) the same area today with
mainly grass and flowers and no tall trees. How would you explain to the reporter that the evidence
in these photos does not show that the forest ecosystem would never recover?

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There are some cases where succession does not restore the original biological community after a
disturbance. For example, disturbance can allow invasive non-native plants to become established and
these plants can interfere with the expected pattern of succession. In one area in Connecticut,
succession proceeded as expected for the first three decades after the end of farming, but by the end of
the fourth decade an invasive non-native vine had spread over the western half of the area (shown in
the left half of the drawing). This vine had originally sprouted on the western edge of the study area and
hadn't yet reached the eastern half of the study area which had the type of forest expected as the result
of succession (shown in the right half of the drawing).
Vines growing
over trees

(From Journal of Vegetation Science 10:483-492, 1999)

7. Explain why the trees in the western half of the study area were smaller than the trees in the eastern
half.

8a. In this question you will create a large flowchart that shows multiple biological processes that play a
role in succession in abandoned farm fields. In the upper part of the space, show the growth and
reproduction of herbaceous plants. (Hint: Review the flowchart on page 2.) Also, show the effects of
competition between trees and herbaceous plants.

Seeds from nearby trees sprout Tree seedlings grow and develop
and develop into tree seedlings. into tall trees which produce seeds.

8b. In the lower part of the space for this large flowchart, show the effects of deer on tree growth and
reproduction.
8c. To link the processes in the flowchart to changes during succession in abandoned farm fields:
– Underline the processes that result in the gradual development of a forest.
– Circle the part of the flowchart that shows how competition contributes to a reduction in
herbaceous plants during the later decades of succession.
– Use { } to indicate the part of the flowchart that shows how a large population of deer can
slow the rate of development of a forest.
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The physical environment affects the pattern of succession. For example, trees generally need more
water than grass; therefore, in regions with limited precipitation succession may culminate in
grasslands, rather than forests.
Major Biomes

80-120 cm
0-60 cm 60-80
120-160 cm Grassland
Forest

160-200 cm

To measure total precipitation, snow, sleet and hail

A biome is a large region with characteristic
were converted to the equivalent amount of
centimeters of rainfall per year. climate and plants adapted to that climate.

9. Use the information given above to explain why the eastern part of the US has a forest biome
while much of the central US has a grassland biome.

A model is a simplified representation of reality that highlights certain key features of a

phenomenon. A good model helps us to better understand and visualize a phenomenon. Three
different models of succession on abandoned farm fields in the northeastern US are shown in this
handout: the figure on page 1, the graph on page 2, and the flowchart in question 8.

10a. What important points about succession are illustrated by the figure on page 1?

10b. What additional important points about succession are illustrated by the graph on page 2?

10c. What additional important points about succession are illustrated by the flowchart in question 8?

10d. Mhat additional important points about succession are not included in any of these three models?