Ecological Succession

Ecological succession is a process through which ecosystems tend to change over a period of time.
Succession can be related to seasonal environmental changes, which create changes in the
community of plants and animals living in the ecosystem.
Other successional events may take much longer periods of time extending to several decades. If a
forest is cleared, it is initially colonized by a certain group of species of plants and animals, which
gradually change through an orderly process of community development.
Succession will continue until the environment reaches its final stage- the climax community.
Development
1. Pioneers
The first organisms to become established in an ecosystem undergoing succession are called
pioneers; the stable community that ends the succession is termed the climax community.
2. Sere
The whole series of communities which are involved in the ecological succession at a given area. For
example, from grass to shrub to forest, and which terminates in a final stable climax community, is
called as sere.
3. Seral stage
Each of the changes that take place is a seral stage.
4. Community
Each seral stage is a community, although temporary, with its own characteristics. It may remain for a
very short time or for many years.
Types of Succession
1. Primary Succession
Primary Succession is the process of species colonization and replacement in which the environment
is initially virtually free of life. It is the process of creating life in an area where no life existed earlier.
The sere involved in primary succession is called presere.
2. Secondary Succession
Secondary succession is the process of change that occurs after an ecosystem is disrupted but not
totally obliterated. It is the process of re-stabilization that follows a disturbance in an area where life
formed an ecosystem.
In this situation, organic matter and some organisms from the original community will remain; thus
the successional process does not start from scratch.
As a result, secondary succession is more rapid than primary. It is seen in areas burned by fire or cut
by farmers for cultivation. The sere involved in secondary succession is called subsere.
The primary and secondary successions may be of three types.
The classification is on the basis of the moisture contents:

(a) Hydrach of Hydrosere
The succession when starts in the aquatic environment such as ponds, lakes, streams, swamps, bogs,
etc. is called hydrach or hydrosere.
(b) Mesarch
The succession when begins in an area, where adequate moisture is present, is called mesarch.
(c) Xerach or Exerosere
The succession when starts in xeric or dry habitat having minimum amounts of moisture, such as dry
deserts, rocks, etc. is called xerach.
A temporary community in an ecological succession on dry as sterile habitat is called xerosere. It may
be of three types as under:-
• Iithosere-succession initiating on sand;
• Psammosere-succession initiating on sand;
• Halosere-succession starting on saline water or soil.
Process
The process of succession being with a bare area or nudation formed by several reasons, such as
volcanic eruption, landslide, following sequential steps.
1. Nudation
The process of succession begins with a bare area or nudation formed by several reasons,such as
volcanic eruption, Landslide, flooding, erosion, deposite, fire, disease, or other catastrophic
agency. Man also may be reason of formation of new lifeless bare areas for example, walls, stone
quarrying, burning, digging, flooding large land areas under reservoirs, etc.
2. Invasion
The invasion means the arrival of the reproductive bodies or propagules of various organisms
and their settlement in the new or bare area. Plants are the first invaders (pioneers) in any area
the animals depend on them for food. The invasion includes the following three steps:
(a) Dispersal or migration: The seeds, spores or other propagules of the species reach the bare
area through air, water or animals.
(b) Ecesis: Ecesis is the successful establishment of migrated plant species into the new area. It
includes germination of seeds or propagules, growth of seedlings and starting of reproduction by
adult plants.
(c) Aggregation: In this stage, the successful immigrant individuals of a species increase their
number by reproduction and aggregate in large population in the area. As a result individuals of
the species come close to one another.

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Ecological succession is a process through which ecosystems tend to change over a period of time.

Each of the changes that take place is a seral stage.

The sere involved in primary succession is called presere.

The primary and secondary successions may be of three types.

The classification is on the basis of the moisture contents:

(c) Xerach or Exerosere

• Iithosere-succession initiating on sand;

• Psammosere-succession initiating on sand;

• Halosere-succession starting on saline water or soil.

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