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    Scie 102 Envi Sci Midterm Week 7

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    Jayce Tan

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    Scie 102 Envi Sci Midterm Week 7

    Uploaded by

    Jayce Tan
    11 views51 pages

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    Scie 102 Envi Sci Midterm Week 7 (2)

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    11 views51 pages

    Scie 102 Envi Sci Midterm Week 7

    Uploaded by

    Jayce Tan

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 51

    ECOLOGICAL

    SUCCESSION

    PREPARED BY:
    LORENELL E. UMBREIT
    INSTRUCTOR 1

    DEPT. OF NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS, CAS


    There are two main types of Ecological
    Succession

    • Primary Succession: The process of


    creating life in an area where no life
    previously existed.

    • Secondary Succession: The process of re-


    stabilization that follows a disturbance in
    an area where life has formed an
    ecosystem.
    M-DCC / PCB 2340C
    6/5/03 2
    Definition:
    • 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
    • The development of an
    ecosystem in an area that
    has never had a
    community living within it
    occurs by a process
    called PRIMARY
    SUCCESSION.
    • An example of an area in
    which a community has
    never lived before, would
    be a new lava or rock
    from a volcano that
    makes a new island.
    6/5/03 M-DCC / PCB 2340C 4
    Primary Succession
    • Begins in a place without any soil
    – In the beginning there is only rock, sand, volcanic ash.
    – Since there is no soil, there is no community.

    Why is there no soil?


    In order for there to be soil there must
    be nutrients like nitrogen.
    So … why is there no soil?
    Primary Succession

    M-DCC / PCB 2340C


    6/5/03 7
    Primary Succession
    • Lichens begin growing on the rocks. Over
    many years lichens break down rock into
    sand.
    • Weathering and erosion break down rock
    into sand.
    Primary Succession
    • Lichens that do not need soil to survive
    • Called PIONEER SPECIES (Why?)
    Primary Succession
    • Lichens grow larger. Some die.
    • Decomposers arrive and break down the lichens.
    • The dead lichens and waste materials of the decomposers enrich
    the sand.
    • Nitrogen cycle begins.
    • Eventually enough nutrients enter the sand and it becomes soil.
    http://www.life.uiuc.edu
    Primary Succession

    M-DCC / PCB 2340C


    6/5/03 12
    Primary Succession
    • Seeds are blown in by the wind or carried
    in by animals. Simple plants like mosses
    can grow in the new soil
    • The plants grow and the soil gets enriched
    as plants die..
    Primary Succession

    M-DCC / PCB 2340C


    6/5/03 14
    Primary Succession
    • Herbs and weeds can grow in the thicker, enriched soil
    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
    Primary Succession
    • Medium sized animals and birds make this their
    habitat.
    • The vegetation grows closer together, reducing
    the amount of space available for growing.
    • Competition between lichen and shrubs for the
    same space. Eventually one species (lichen) will
    die out (or move) and the
    other species will survive
    (shrubs).
    Primary Succession

    M-DCC / PCB 2340C


    6/5/03 18
    Primary Succession
    • These plants die, and they add more
    nutrients to the soil
    • Shrubs and tress can survive now
    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
    Primary Succession

    M-DCC / PCB 2340C


    6/5/03 21
    Primary Succession
    • These plants die, and they add more
    nutrients to the soil
    • Now larger trees can grow: Beech, Oak,
    Walnut, Maple…
    The Climax Community

    • A climax community is a mature, stable community that


    is the final stage of ecological succession. In an
    ecosystem with a climax community, the conditions
    continue to be suitable for all the members of the
    community.

    • Any particular region has its own set of climax species,


    which are the plants that are best adapted for the area
    and will persist after succession has finished, until
    another disturbance clears the area.

    M-DCC / PCB 2340C


    6/5/03 23
    These are Climax Communities

    6/5/03 M-DCC / PCB 2340C 24


    • Two main physical factors determine the
    nature of the community that develops in an
    area. These are temperature and the amount
    of rainfall.
    Temperature

    Cold Cold desert Tundra Taiga

    Moderate Temperate Grassland Deciduous


    forest forest
    Hot Hot desert Savanna Tropical
    forest
    Rainfall 0-10 10-20 20-30+
    (inches)
    6/5/03 M-DCC / PCB 2340C 25
    A summary of changes that occur during succession:

    • Pioneer species colonize a bare or disturbed site.


    Soil building.

    • Changes in the physical environment occur (e.g.,


    light, moisture).

    • New species of plants displace existing plants


    because their seedlings are better able to become
    established in the changed environment.

    • Newly arriving species alter the physical conditions,


    often in ways that enable other species to become
    established.

    M-DCC / PCB 2340C


    6/5/03 26
    A summary of changes that occur during succession:

    • Animals come in with or after the plants they


    need to survive.

    • Eventually a climax community that is more


    or less stable will become established and
    have the ability to reproduce itself.

    • Disturbances will start the process of


    succession again.

    M-DCC / PCB 2340C


    6/5/03 27
    What if?
    What if?
    What if?
    • An avalanche?
    What if?
    • Deforestation?
    Threats to Climax Communities
    • Forest Fires
    • Humans building cities and roads
    • Flooding, Volcanic eruptions
    • Clearing a community for agricultural purposes

    • Anything that destroys the existing community, but much of the


    soil remains. Sometimes, some of the organisms remain as well.
    Secondary Succession
    Secondary Succession
    Secondary Succession
    • Organisms are destroyed but the soil is
    safe.
    • The soil already contains the seeds of
    weeds, grasses, and trees. More seeds
    are carried to the area by wind and birds.
    • Succession begins again but the primary
    species are different.
    • Because soil is present, this succession is
    faster.
    Ecological Succession
    •N
    Secondary Succession on an
    Abandoned Cornfield
    Secondary Succession
    • 1. Some seeds in the soil
    begin to grow.
    Secondary Succession
    • Larger shrubs move in.
    Secondary Succession
    • 3. Fast growing trees (such as
    pines) move in

    • 4. These are followed by


    slower-growing hardwood
    trees
    http://www.ux1.eiu.edu
    http://www.agen.ufl.edu
    Climax Community
    • A stable group of plants and animals that is the end result
    of the succession process
    • Does not always mean big trees
    – Grasses in prairies
    – Cacti in deserts
    Diseases
    • Forest pests and disease have seriously harmed the
    environment and have imposed significant cost in the.
    economy. Exotic pests and pathogens, such as the
    Dutch elm disease and beech bark disease have had a
    profound effect on forests.

    Annosum Root Disease


    Diseases
    • Management of these pests and diseases has been impacted
    by a variety of factors such as forest fragmentation, increasing
    human population, and the expansion of invasive species.

    • Prompt identification and treatment of forest diseases often


    means the difference between losing or saving a valuable
    forest stand.

    Annosum Root Disease


    Invasive Plants
    • Invasive species have been characterized as a
    “catastrophic wildfire in slow motion.” Thousands of
    nonnative invasive plants have infested land and water
    across the Nation.

    Congongrass Kudzu
    Invasive Plants
    • These invaders cause massive disruptions in
    ecosystems by reducing biodiversity and degrading the
    health of our nation’s forests, prairies, mountains,
    wetlands, rivers, and oceans. They have the capacity to
    dominate, overwhelm, or wipe out native /endemic
    species.

    Congongrass Kudzu
    Human Development
    THANK YOU!!!

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