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Changes in Ecosystems: Ecological Succession

Changes in Ecosystems: Ecological Succession. 1.05 Determine the interaction of organisms within an ecosystem. Ecological Succession. Ecological Succession is the natural, gradual changes in the types of species that live in an area; can be primary or secondary

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Changes in Ecosystems: Ecological Succession

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  1. Changes in Ecosystems:Ecological Succession 1.05 Determine the interaction of organisms within an ecosystem.

  2. Ecological Succession • Ecological Succession is the 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

  3. Primary Succession • Primary succession is the beginning of a community where few, if any, living things exist, or where earlier communities were wiped out.

  4. Primary Succession • Begins in a place without any soil • Sides of volcanoes • Landslides • Flooding • Starts with the arrival of living things such as lichens that do not need soil to survive • Called PIONEER SPECIES

  5. Pioneer Species These are the first species to occupy a new habitat, starting new communities. They have rapid reproductive strategies, enabling them to quickly occupy an uninhabited area.

  6. 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

  7. A new community, called a pioneer community, is beginning to thrive. • A pioneer community is the first community thriving in a once lifeless area.

  8. Primary Succession • Simple plants like mosses and ferns can grow in the new soil

  9. Primary Succession • The simple plants die, adding more organic material • The soil layer thickens, and grasses, wildflowers, and other plants begin to take over

  10. Primary Succession • These plants die, and they add more nutrients to the soil • Shrubs and tress can survive now

  11. Primary Succession • Insects, small birds, and mammals have begun to move in • What was once bare rock now supports a variety of life

  12. 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

  13. Stages of Succession

  14. Climax Community • A stable group of plants and animals that is the end result or final stage of the successionprocess • Does not always mean big trees • Grasses in prairies • Cacti in deserts

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