Download Succession

Name: _____________________________________
Date: ______________________
Ecological Succession
Enviro 2 Go
6.2.2.4, 6.2.2.5,
6.2.2.6
Objective- You should be able to:
1. Explain and describe how succession happens.
2. Describe primary succession.
3. Describe secondary succession.
Important Vocabulary
 Ecological Succession
 Primary Succession
 Secondary Succession
 Old-field Succession
 Pioneer Species
 Climax Community
Ecological Succession
Ecosystems change over time.
 A shallow lake gradually fills in over time and becomes a _____________________.
 A forest burns and becomes a ___________________.
 A beaver dams a stream and creates a ___________________.
 These changes occur in a regular pattern and are called _______________________
_________________________.
 Succession is the change in an ecosystem from ____________________ to more
complex ________________________________.
 Remember a complex ecosystem is one that has great biodiversity.
REMEMBER THIS!!!
Succession is a process where the ever-changing environment favors one species over
another. Certain species will replace another species because they are more suited to the
new environment.
(ex. shade vs. full sun)
Question 1: What is ecological succession?
Two Types of Succession
1.
2.
Primary Succession
1. Primary succession is when plants grow where they have ___________________
___________________, such as on a new ______________________ island.
 A good definition of ________________________________________is when life
begins to grow in an area that
_________________________________________. It is also defined as the type
of succession that occurs where ________________
__________________________________________.
 _______________________ succession can occur on ______________, sand
dunes, after volcanic eruption, or ______________________________________.
 Usually the ________________________________ to begin primary succession is
some type of _______________, __________________ (likens), or ___________.
All of these species are very hardy and simple plants. You normally see them
as a green film growing on the shady sides of trees and sometimes houses.
 Once these pioneers get established, they can ___________________ the area so
that more _______________________ organisms can live there.
2. Secondary succession is when plants grow in an area that ________________________
_______________________________, such as a field or forest that was cleared or burned.
 _______________________ succession is ________________________________ than
primary succession. Secondary succession occurs in ecosystems that have been
disturbed or disrupted.
 After a forest fire, forest clearing, or a field is abandoned, new _________________
plants, such as ____________________, are often the first to begin secondary
succession. As they grow they create _____________________.
 Shade-loving plants, such as mountain laurel, grow and create even more shade.
 The increased shade creates a lack of _________________________ for the sunloving plants. Because of the shade, the sun-loving plants fail to _______________
and eventually _____________.
 The ________________________________ plants are ____________________ in the
ecosystem by the ___________________________________ plants that reproduce
successfully in the shade. As plant species change, so do the animal species that
occupy the area.
 A good example of ____________________________ succession is when a _______
destroys an area and the plants and animals begin to reestablish themselves in the
area that was burned.
 ____________________________________ occurs when farmland is abandoned.
When the field is no longer cultivated, _____________________ and
____________ grow rapidly and produce many seeds to cover larger areas.
REMEMBER THIS!!!
 Primary succession occurs where there has not been a previous ecosystem.
 Secondary succession occurs after a disturbance in an existing ecosystem.
 Secondary succession is usually much faster than primary succession.
Question 2: What is the major difference between primary and secondary succession?
Question 3: Give an example of secondary succession around where you live.
Whether it’s the lichen, moss, or algae invading rock during _________________________
succession, or grasses invading an area after a _______________________________ during
_________________________ succession; the first organisms to colonize the area are
known as pioneer species.
REMEMBER THIS!!!
Pioneer species are the _______________ organisms to invade an area during ecological
succession.
Climax Community
 Ecological succession will occur until a _____________________________________
is reached.
 A climax community is when the vegetation has reached a _____________
 _______________; equilibrium.
 The climax community will continue to exist until there is a __________________.


 Climax communities typically contain _________________________________ such
as oaks, hickory, maples, and beech trees.
REMEMBER THIS!!!
Climax Communities will persist until there is a disturbance!
Question 4: What is a pioneer species?
Question 5: What is the final stage of ecological succession?
Question 6: When does a climax community change?
Test Yourself
True or False
____ 1. The major difference between primary succession and secondary succession is
that primary succession occurs only on land and secondary succession occurs
in ponds and lakes.
____ 2. A receding (melting and moving farther north) glacier is a good example of
secondary succession.
____ 3. Ecosystems usually never change over time.
____ 4. Climax communities are the first species to invade an area.
____ 5. A climax community is the final stage of succession
Matching
____ 1. Succession
____ 2. Climax Community
____ 3. Pioneer Species
____ 4. Primary Succession
____ 5. Secondary Succession
A. Example of when plants grow in
an area that had plants growing
before.
B. When plants grow where there
have never been plants before.
C. The final, stable state of
succession.
D. The first species to colonize an
area.
E. Regular progression of species
replacement in an environment.
Fill in the Blank
secondary succession
primary succession
pioneer species
climax community
old-field succession
1. Plants growing in an area where there were once plants before is called
_______________ ________________.
2. _______________________ __________________________is when plants grow where
there have never been any before.
3. The ____________________ _____________________________ is typically a hardwood
forest that will remain until a disturbance.
4. _________ ______________ ______________________ occurs after a farmer stops
cultivating their fields.
5. Lichens are an example of a ___________________ ____________________ that
colonizes rock during primary succession.
Answer the Following
1. Describe the difference between primary and secondary succession. Provide examples
for both.
2. When does a climax community change?
3. Describe how the species changed and the type of succession that occurred in LaPlata
after the tornado came through