Ecological Succession

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Ecological Succession

• Species or communities of species replace others
  as the environment is altered.

By Diana L. Duckworth Rustburg High School
Campbell County
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Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan

• Bare sand blown up into dunes
• Pioneers are dune grasses (stabilize dunes, add
  organic matter)
• Shrubbery followed by trees
• Oak Hickory (sun lovers)
• Beech Maple (shade tolerant) begin as
  understory under oak hickory

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As lake receded, new dunes added.
http//library.thinkquest.org/C006838/succession.h
tml
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Pioneer Grasses
http//library.thinkquest.org/C006838/succession.h
tml
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http//library.thinkquest.org/C006838/succession.h
tml
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Sub climax woods
http//library.thinkquest.org/C006838/succession.h
tml
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Oak Hickory Forest
http//library.thinkquest.org/C006838/succession.h
tml
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Inter dune ponds - succession
http//library.thinkquest.org/C006838/succession.h
tml
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Siberia Lake Succession
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Birch good pioneers
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Secondary Succession

• Occurs in disturbed localities where pre-existing
  life was destroyed.
• Examples
• Old Field Succession
• Ponds lakes
• Flood plains
• Volcanic ash falls
• Forest fires or brush fires
• Wind falls
• Uplifted areas

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Early species are sun lovers
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Primary Succession

• Occurs on new terrain that has never hosted life
  in the past.
• Examples
• Lava Flows
• Glacial moraines exposed as ice melts
• New sand dunes

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Recent Exposure in Iceland
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Between 1940 - 1980
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1940
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1904
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Laki lava flow 1789 Iceland
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Laki Flow
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Older flow in foreground
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Recent lava flow on Fernandina Island Galapagos
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Mangroves colonizing lava flow in coastal areas
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Palo Santos trees and soil on older lava flow
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Older Lava Flows Isabela Island, Galapagos
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Arid zone flora colonizing lava flows
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Acacia trees colonizing older lava flows
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Disturbance Volcanic Inflation16 ft uplift in
one day in 1954
Primary or secondary? stranded coral reef
new(?) soil forming
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Remains of white mangrove stranded above salt
water table
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Tube worms on basalt, formerly under water
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Remains of marine organisms on lava above high
tide
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Stranded finger corals new soil environment
developing
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Major Impacts of Succession

• Environmental disturbance is rule rather than
  exception.
• Maintains community in a sub-climax state
• E.G. Prairies, Lodge pole Ponderosa pine
  communities Loblolly pine
• Some organisms need fire to germinate (pines
  giant sequoias)
• Produces mosaic of environments on flood plains
  and in forests
• Increases biodiversity greater in edge
  situations