25 269/15/14

Ecological Succession9/15/14

Starter: What is succession?

Practice: Notes

Ecological Succession

Application: Ws

Connection:/Exit:

1. After wildfires, such as in the Bastrop, TX area, would primary or secondary succession occur? Why? 2. What will be first to grow back, second, third, etc.?3. What are humans doing to help speed up the succession process?4. How might ecological succession change the diversity of species in an area?

Date Lecture/ Activity/ Lab Page8/27 Syllabus /Notebook Guidelines 1-28/27 Periodic Table/ Formula 3-48/27 Tools/ Measurement 5-68/27 Lab Report/ Investigations 7-88/27 Restroom passes/Homework Log 9-108/28 Testing a hypothesis 11-128/29 Levels of Organization 13-149/02 Symbiotic Relationships 15-169/03 Abiotic and Biotic Factors 17-189/4-5 Ecosystems Research and Poster 19-209/8 Flow of Energy 21-229/10-11 Food Web Poster 23-249/15 Ecological Succession 25-26

Table of Contents

Agenda •1. Starter•2. Notes •3. Activity

•4. Exit

Changes in Ecosystems:Ecological Succession

What is Ecological Succession?

•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

• Begins in a place without any soil: »Sides of volcanoes»Landslides»Flooding

• First, lichens that do not need soil to survive grow on rocks

• Next, mosses grow to hold newly made soil

• Known as PIONEER SPECIES

Pioneer Species

Lichens break down rock to form soil.

Low, growing moss plants trap

moisture and prevent soil

erosion

Primary Succession

•Soil starts to form as lichens and the forces of weather and erosion help break down rocks into smaller pieces

•When lichens die, they decompose, adding small amounts of organic matter to the rock to make soil

Primary Succession

• Simple plants like mosses and ferns can grow in the new soil

Primary Succession

• The simple plants die, adding more organic material (nutrients to the soil)

• The soil layer thickens, and grasses, wildflowers, and other plants begin to take over

Primary Succession

• These plants die, and they add more nutrients to the soil

• Shrubs and trees can survive now

Primary Succession

• Insects, small birds, and mammals have begun to move into the area

• What was once bare rock, now supports a variety of life

Secondary Succession

•Begins in a place that already has soil and was once the home of living organisms

•Occurs faster and has different pioneer species than primary succession

•Example: after forest fires

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

25 269/15/14

Ecological Succession9/15/14

Starter: What is succession?

Practice: Notes

Ecological Succession

Application: Ws

Connection:/Exit:

1. After wildfires, such as in the Bastrop, TX area, would primary or secondary succession occur? Why? 2. What will be first to grow back, second, third, etc.?3. What are humans doing to help speed up the succession process?4. How might ecological succession change the diversity of species in an area?