Ecological Succession and Biogeochemical Cycles

Ecological Succession

Primary and Secondary

Multiple Choice

Which type of succession occurs on freshly formed or barren land?

• Primary Succession

• Secondary Succession

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is something that can create new land?

• Snow

• Rain

• Volcanic Eruption

• Wind

Multiple Choice

What do we call the first species that colonize a new area?

• Foreign Species

• Pioneer Species

• Intraspecies

• Interspecies

Primary Succession

1) Lichens and moss(pioneer species) appear

2) Erosion breaks rocks apart into small pieces and decomposition of pioneer species adds nutrients to the ground(soil formation)

2) Small annuals start to appear

3) Grasses and Ferns(perennials) appear

4) Shrubs and bushes appear

5) Softwoods such as conifers(trees with cones) appear

6) Hardwoods such as oak, maple, hickory, walnut, and cherry trees(trees with tree nuts)

Multiple Select

Which of the following are examples of pioneer species?(Select all that apply)

• Maple Tree

• Grass

• Lichens

• Moss

Multiple Choice

Which of the following appears last?

• Grass

• Bushes

• Softwoods(Conifers)

• Hardwoods(Maple, Oak, etc)

Climax Community

Eventually a community reaches a steady state with relatively no change which is called a climax community.

Secondary Succession

Process in which recolonization of plants occur after some kind of natural disaster such as a forest fire. Quicker than primary succession since the soil still remains.

Multiple Choice

Which type of succession occurs after some kind of natural disaster wipes out most of the vegetation in a habitat?

• Primary Succession

• Secondary Succession

Multiple Choice

Which type of succession is quicker?

• Primary Succession

• Secondary Succession