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Succession
 Succession: the series of ecological changes that every
community undergoes over long periods of time.
 A succession of change gradually replaces other species
Succession: 2 Types
 Primary succession
 Begins in a virtually lifeless area with no soil
 Secondary succession
 When a disturbance destroyed an existing community
but left the soil intact
CLIMAX COMMUNITY: the stage in succession where the
community has become relatively stable through
successful adjustment to its environment
Primary Succession
 Begins with “pioneer species”
 The first species to occupy an area
 These species must be able to survive in very harsh
environments
 This is because there have been NO living things there
before; therefore, there has been no cycling of nutrients
in this area (carbon, nitrogen, etc.)
Pioneer species – Exhibit exponential growth until outcompeted by
another species.
Eventually, population environment stabilizes with biodiversity increasing
and species exhibiting logistic growth dominating.
Primary Succession
Secondary Succession
 This type of succession occurs after some kind of
natural disaster
 Forest fire, flooding, etc.
 Because there has been life present in these areas
before, there is an abundance of abiotic resources
available (nitrogen, carbon, etc.)
 Therefore, the soil is nutrient rich and the first species
to grow in this area can be much larger due to the excess
of nutrients
Secondary Succesion