Succession

By: Rachael Todd, Darby McBride, Nicole Schrader

Explanation

• Pioneers die • new small organisms and bacteria

take over • old organism provide nutrients

needed• species are able to be supported• and basically the cycle starts over

“Pioneers”

• The older [originating] species

• Die out from lack of nutrients / nutrient rich soil

Climate

• Organisms most suited to a particular environment / ones that can be found in the area are most likely to be the pioneers, or at the climax of succession

Soil

• Soil plays a major factor in what organisms occupy an ecosystem.

• pH is one major factor • some plants prefer and acidic

environment to alkaline, or vice versa

• The composition of the soil also plays a role in determining which species' are suitable

Climax Community

• Succession stops when species’ changes no longer occur with time / slow down

• this community is said to be a climax community

Primary Succession

• A succession that occurs following an opening of uninhabited, barren habitat

• or one that occurs on an environment that is usually lacking topsoil and vegetation

Secondary Secession

• A succession that occurs on preexisting soil

• The primary succession has been disrupted / destroyed due to a disturbance

• the population of the initial inhabitants has been reduced

[video]

http://www.5min.com/Video/Secondary-Succession-151426012

The General Difference

• Primary succession - the colonization of living organisms into an area that was not previously colonized by any living things

• Secondary succession - the regeneration of the living community after a major disturbance.