Succession

Succession

Today you will learn how an ecosystem can go back to equilibrium after a disturbance has occurred thanks to primary and secondary succession.

Open Ended

Let's say that a forest fire destroys an area...how do you think that ecosystem would be able to thrive once again?

Video

https://youtu.be/uqEUzgVAF6g

(Look Up Amoeba Sisters Ecological Succession Video If you Cannot Copy and Past the Link)

Causes Primary Succession

• No soil or soil cannot sustain life

• Caused by disturbances such as lava flows, re-treating glacier, oil spills, land slides

Steps of Primary Succession

• Barren rock is covered by moss

• Pioneer species such as lichens and mosses form on rocks

• Lichen can break rock down and mosses decompose; helping create soil

• Grasses begin to grow

• Small shrubs and small organisms start t come in

• Larger trees and different types of organisms come in, when there is more diversity and the ecosystem is back in equilibrium it is a climax community

Causes of Secondary Succession

• Soil is present

• Forest Fire

• Flood

• Deforestation

Steps of Secondary Succession

* Annual plants come about

* Followed by grasses and small plants

* Shrubs, small trees, and small animals

Large trees, diverse animals. it is now a climax community

Multiple Choice

What disturbance can cause secondary succession?

• volcanic eruption

• landslide

• glacier

• forest fire

Ecological Succession Takes Time

• Primary usually takes longer than secondary

  It can take a year for pioneer or annual plants to come in

• 3-4 years for shrubs and bushes to come in

• 5-150 years for small trees

• and 150 or more years for large trees and for the community to be in equilibrium which is a climax community

Purpose of Succession

Growth and development of an ecosystem when a disturbance occurs, it allows ecosystems to thrive once again and balance to return

How do microorganisms play a role in an ecosystem?

• They help break down matter and play a role in soil formation

• Help bring back nutrients into the soil

• promote Nitrogen fixation and other cycles such as...

Important Cycles

• Nitrogen Cycle- nitrogen is converted into multiple forms. Then nitrogen circulates around the soil, atmosphere, and ecosystem, micro-organisms play a role in this! They fix nitrogen into a form that is useful for plants

• Carbon Cycle- carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged 

• Sulfur Cycle- moves between rocks, waterways and living systems

Open Ended

What would happen if one of the cycles was disrupted?

Multiple Select

Which are a part of primary succession?

• Soil is not available

• soil is available

• moss is first to appear

• annual plants are first to appear

Multiple Choice

A volcanic eruption occurred in Hawaii, what would be the correct beginning stages of primary succession?

• Soil is there, moss forms, and grasses grow

• bare rock covered in moss, moss decomposes, soil forms

• Bare rock, grasses start to form, followed by moss

• soil is there, moss creates more soil, shrubs grow

Fill in the Blank

When an ecosystem goes back to equilibrium it is called________

Multiple Choice

What disturbance can cause secondary succession?

• Landslide

• Forest Fire

• Volcanic Eruption

• Glacier

Multiple Select

What role do micro-organisms play in an ecosystem?

• help create soil

• bring nutrients back

• help bring nitrogen into soil

• are producers

• are a main food source

Credits

• Image from BioNinja

• Image from Britannica

• Video from Amoeba Sisters (Youtube)