All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is xerarch succession?
Answer: Succession occurring in dry areas. This type begins in terrestrial environments with limited water.
Flashcard 2: What is hydrarch succession?
Answer: Succession occurring in wet areas. This type begins in aquatic or very moist terrestrial environments.
Flashcard 3: What defines primary succession?
Answer: Succession occurring on surfaces where no soil exists. This type starts from scratch with no existing soil foundation.
Flashcard 4: What is the role of mosses in succession?
Answer: Mosses help retain moisture and further soil development. Mosses create favorable microclimates for other plant establishment.
Flashcard 5: What is hydrarch succession?
Answer: Succession occurring in wet areas. This type begins in aquatic or very moist terrestrial environments.
Flashcard 6: What is the significance of soil in succession?
Answer: Soil provides nutrients and a medium for plant growth. Soil development is essential for supporting diverse plant communities.
Flashcard 7: What is allogenic succession?
Answer: Succession driven by external environmental factors. External forces like climate or geology drive community changes.
Flashcard 8: What role do lichens play in succession?
Answer: They help break down rock to form soil. Lichens secrete acids that chemically weather rock into soil particles.
Flashcard 9: Which type of succession begins on bare rock?
Answer: Primary succession. Bare rock lacks soil, requiring the slower primary succession process.
Flashcard 10: Identify the two main types of ecological succession.
Answer: Primary succession and secondary succession. These are distinguished by the presence or absence of existing soil.
Flashcard 11: What causes secondary succession?
Answer: Disturbances like fire, floods, or human activities that do not destroy soil. These disturbances leave soil intact, allowing faster recovery.
Flashcard 12: What is a sere in ecological succession?
Answer: A stage in the sequence of events in ecological succession. Each sere represents a distinct phase in community development.
Flashcard 13: How do grasses influence succession?
Answer: They stabilize soil and provide habitat for insects and small mammals. Grasses create favorable conditions for shrubs and trees to establish.
Flashcard 14: What is the main difference between primary and secondary succession?
Answer: Primary starts without soil; secondary starts with existing soil. Soil presence determines which succession pathway occurs.
Flashcard 15: Identify a disturbance that leads to primary succession.
Answer: Volcanic eruption. Volcanic activity destroys all life and soil, requiring primary succession.
Flashcard 16: What is the role of herbaceous plants in succession?
Answer: They stabilize soil and provide habitat for other species. Herbaceous plants improve soil structure and create microhabitats.
Flashcard 17: What is the role of decomposers in succession?
Answer: Decomposers break down organic matter, enriching the soil. Decomposition adds essential nutrients for plant growth and soil development.
Flashcard 18: What is the role of fire in succession?
Answer: Fire can reset succession, clearing space for new growth. Fire removes vegetation, creating opportunities for new species colonization.
Flashcard 19: What is a seral community?
Answer: A temporary community in the successional sequence. Seral communities are unstable and transitional by nature.
Flashcard 20: What is the outcome of successful succession?
Answer: A stable and diverse climax community. Successful succession results in maximum stability and species diversity.
Flashcard 21: What characterizes the later stages of succession?
Answer: Dominance by climax species. Climax species thrive in stable, resource-rich environments.
Flashcard 22: Identify a common pioneer species in primary succession.
Answer: Lichens. Lichens are hardy symbiotic organisms that can colonize bare rock.
Flashcard 23: What is a climax community?
Answer: A stable, mature community that undergoes little or no change in species. This represents the endpoint of succession with stable species composition.
Flashcard 24: How does biodiversity change during succession?
Answer: Biodiversity generally increases as succession progresses. More species can establish as environmental conditions improve.
Flashcard 25: What characterizes the early stages of succession?
Answer: Dominance by pioneer species. Pioneer species are adapted to harsh, unstable conditions.
Flashcard 26: How does human activity impact succession?
Answer: It can alter or halt natural successional processes. Human activities often interrupt or redirect natural succession.
Flashcard 27: Which community is more resilient, early or late successional?
Answer: Late successional communities are more resilient. Mature communities have more species interactions and stability mechanisms.
Flashcard 28: What is ecological succession?
Answer: The process of change in species structure of an ecological community over time. This describes the natural progression from simple to complex communities.
Flashcard 29: What is the impact of succession on ecosystem productivity?
Answer: Productivity often increases as ecosystems mature. More biomass and photosynthesis occur as communities develop structure.
Flashcard 30: What is the impact of invasive species on succession?
Answer: They can disrupt or alter successional pathways. Non-native species can dominate and prevent native species establishment.