How does ecological succession lead to a stable environment?

By Salma R.

What is ecological succession?• From the Latin, succedere, to follow after

Ecological succession is the changing sequence of communities that live in an ecosystem during a given time period.

It is a gradual change could be primary or secondary

Primary succession

• Primary Succession- series of changes that occur in an area where no ecosystem previously existed.

– Example: An area might be a new island formed by the eruption of an undersea volcano

– Example 2: An area of rock uncovered by a melting sheet of ice.

• The first species to populate the area are called Pioneer Species. – Lichens and mosses – carried by the wind or water

Examples of primary succession

Secondary succession

• Secondary Succession- the series of changes that occur after a disturbance in an EXISTING ecosystem.

– Unlike primary succession, secondary succession occurs in a place where a n ecosystem has previously existed.

– Secondary succession restores the ecosystem to a state in which equilibrium can be maintained. • occurs somewhat more rapidly than primary succession

Examples of secondary succession

Disturbance and Succession-Type

• Primary • Secondary• – Volcano• – Landslide• – Fire• – Hurricane• – Flooding• – Dune Formation• – Logging• – Lake Drainage• – Tsunami

How does this lead to a stable environment?

It has been observed that when natural disasters occur, such as a floods or fires, the damaged ecosystem is likely to recover in a series of successional stages that eventually result in a stable system similar to the original one that occupied the area.

• Ecologists refer to the final, highest stage of ecological development in an area as the area's climax community. That terms refers to a relatively stable community that is environmentally balanced. Climax communities are more a theoretical than a real concept. Certainly it is possible to recognize in old-growth communities areas that change relatively slowly compared to the earlier, more dynamic stages of succession.

How does succession lead to a stable environment?

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