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G-12 Biology, 2.2 Ecological Succession

Ecological succession is the process by which the ecosystem in a community changes over time, progressing towards a stable climax community. Pioneer species are the first to colonize an area, changing the environment and allowing other species to enter. This drives the food web to become more complex. Succession can occur on both land and in bodies of water, and results in similar climax communities, though the path and pioneer species differ. Primary succession establishes life from bare rock or sand and takes longer, while secondary succession follows a disturbance and reestablishes more quickly due to remaining soil and seeds.

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62 views

G-12 Biology, 2.2 Ecological Succession

Ecological succession is the process by which the ecosystem in a community changes over time, progressing towards a stable climax community. Pioneer species are the first to colonize an area, changing the environment and allowing other species to enter. This drives the food web to become more complex. Succession can occur on both land and in bodies of water, and results in similar climax communities, though the path and pioneer species differ. Primary succession establishes life from bare rock or sand and takes longer, while secondary succession follows a disturbance and reestablishes more quickly due to remaining soil and seeds.

Uploaded by

Yohannes Nigussie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Biology G-12 2.2 Ecological Succession 2013 E.

2.2 Ecological Succession


Definition of Ecological Succession
 Ecological succession is the process where one ecosystem replaces another ecosystem
that occurs in a community over time in order to reach stability (climax community).
 It is a gradual change in species occupying an area, due to changes in one or more abiotic
or biotic factors favoring some species over another.

How Does Ecological Succession Occur?


The ecosystems that exist today have developed from other previous systems by succession; and
many of them began on completely bare ground.
 Bare rock doesn’t remain bare for long; soon, lichens can be growing on the rock surface.
 These organisms (lichens) are able to colonize harsh environments and reproduce there.
They are known as pioneer species.
Pioneer species are species that are the first organisms to occupy a newly exposed or disturbed
area. Example: Lichens (on rock surface) and Phytoplankton’s (pond)

Through the natural recycling processes, the lichens change the abiotic conditions, making them
less harsh, allowing other species to colonize the area.
 The living lichens grow into the rock causing it to crumble.
 When the lichens die, decomposers act on the remains to release mineral ions into the
crumbled rock.
The mixture of dead remains, crumbled rock and mineral ions forms a primitive soil.
 This less harsh environment is suitable for the new species or mosses (provided sufficient
water). So, spores of mosses that land there can germinate and grow, out-competing the
lichens in the changed environment.

This is the essence of succession:


 Organisms colonize an area.
 They change the abiotic (physical) conditions in the area.
 The changed abiotic conditions allow other species to colonize the area.
 The new species compete with the ones there before and become dominant.
 They also then change the abiotic conditions, more species enter and the process continues.

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Biology G-12 2.2 Ecological Succession 2013 E.C

The various stages in a succession are called seres.


As successive producers colonize the area, they create more and different habitats and niches for
other organisms to occupy.
 As a consequence, succession usually involves increase in the complexity of food webs.
 The final, most complex, state of a succession is the climax community.
Climax community is the most complex community that can exist under the prevailing
environmental conditions.

Figure: succession from bare rock to


woodland climax

This figure shows that:


as different types of
vegetation enter the
area, they affect the
amount and depth of
soil. This, in turn, allows other types of plant with more complex root systems to enter.

The increasing complexity of the plant community will create more and more ecological niches;
this in turn allows more animals to enter the area. The species diversity will rise through the
succession, until the climax is reached.

The following trends occur in any succession:


 The total biomass of the community increases.
 The species diversity increases.
 The number of ecological niches increases.
 Food webs become more complex.
 The community becomes more stable, can accommodate small changes/losses easily.

A woodland climax can arise through a totally different succession.


 A lake or pond can undergo a succession that results in the water being replaced by
sediments allowing land plants to grow and giving rise to a succession that result in
woodland.

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Biology G-12 2.2 Ecological Succession 2013 E.C

Figure: succession from open water


 An open water area with little vegetation
to woodland
can support animal life because of
plankton in water and smaller animals in
mud at the bottom.
 Submerged plants become established
in the sediment formed by the dead
animals. They increase the amount of
sediment as they die and larger plants
become established.
 As time passes, more and more sediment
fills the lake and larger emerging plants
become established.
 Eventually there is sufficient sediment to
support deep rooted trees and the climax
woodland stage of the succession is
reached.

Both successions (land and water) end with the same climax. Because: the first takes place from
rock, it is called a xerosere. The second, starting from water, it is called a hydrosere.

Xerosere: is an ecological succession starting from an area where water content is very less such
as rock surface.
 The pioneer species in the xerosere succession will be lichens
 The climax community will be grassland or forest
Hydrosere: is an ecological succession starting from an area where water is abundantly present
such as lake and pond.
 The pioneer species in the hydrosere succession is phytoplankton’s
 The climax community will be grassland or forest

Why do different areas have different climax communities?


Forest climax communities in Europe do not become as complex as tropical rainforest because of
the climate. Because of this, they are said to be climatic climax communities.

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Biology G-12 2.2 Ecological Succession 2013 E.C

Grassland in many areas would revert to woodland/ forest if it were not grazed. The grazing
animals nip off the tips of the shoots, preventing them from growing. Grasses grow from ground
level, (not from the tips of shoots), and so can regrow. These grasslands are grazing climaxes.

Other factors that could influence the type of climax community formed include:
 Temperature
 precipitation (rainfall)
 soil type and
 soil depth
Primary Succession and Secondary Succession
Primary Succession: is the process of creating life in an area where no life previously existed.
 Where a succession starts from bare (previously colonized ground), or from a newly
formed pond with no life, the succession is a primary succession.
Secondary Succession: is the process of re-stabilization that follows a disturbance in an area
where life has formed an ecosystem.
 Sometimes, communities are destroyed by human intervention such as fire, farmer
ploughing field. When a new succession begins in such area, it is a secondary succession.

Primary succession takes longer time to occur than secondary succession because:
 The soil which is ready for plants to grow in does not exist yet.
 Plants are not able to grow well on bare rock or desert sands.
Secondary succession usually occurs much quicker or faster than primary successions because:
 The succession is not starting from bare rock/open water
 There is a seed bank of many climax plant types available in remaining undamaged plants
 The soil already present and is ready for new plant life.

Table: Comparison between Primary and Secondary Succession


Primary Succession Secondary Succession
Breakdown of rock must occur to form soil Soil is already present
Occurs on bare land or newly formed pond Occurs after a natural disaster or clearing away
of already present land
Takes longer to reach climax community Takes shorter to establish climax community

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