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Changes in Ecosystems: Ecological Succession

Changes in Ecosystems: Ecological Succession. 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.

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Changes in Ecosystems: Ecological Succession

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  1. Changes in Ecosystems:Ecological Succession

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. Primary Succession • The first species to colonize barren areas are called pioneer species. • @Lichen grows on bare rock- mutualistic symbiosis between a fungus and an algae.@

  5. Primary Succession • Over time, lichens convert, or fix, atmospheric nitrogen into useful forms for other organisms, break down rock, and add organic material to form soil. • Certain grasses, like those that colonized Krakatau early on, are also pioneer species.

  6. http://botit.botany.wisc.edu http://www.saguaro-juniper.com/

  7. 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 @

  8. Primary Succession • Simple plants like mosses and ferns can grow in the new soil http://www.uncw.edu http://uisstc.georgetown.edu

  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 http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu

  10. Primary Succession • These plants die, and they add more nutrients to the soil • Shrubs and tress can survive now http://www.rowan.edu

  11. Primary Succession • Insects, small birds, and mammals have begun to move in • What was once bare rock now supports a variety of life http://p2-raw.greenpeace.org

  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. http://www.ux1.eiu.edu

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

  15. Video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V49IovRSJDs

  16. What are the first organisms that colonize a new area after a disturbance? • Pioneer Species

  17. What is the difference between primary and secondary succession? • Primary occurs on barren rocks/lands • Secondary occurs on land that already has soil/nutrients/plants

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