Succession Review

Which of the following best describes succession?

• The creation of new life from nothing in an ecosystem

• The reduction of new life from nothing in an ecosystem

• The evolution of species through natural selection to become different species over time

• The changes in species composition in a community over time as species colonize an area

• All of these are good descriptions

Which of the following are true?

• Secondary succession occurs in an area that already had life and soil

• Primary succession begins in an area that does not have soil

• Primary succession begins in an area that did not have life before

• All of these are true

• None of these are true

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which order correctly describes the order in which organisms would appear during primary succession?

• Lichens, mosses, trees, grasses, shrubs

• Mosses, grasses, lichens, shrubs, trees

• Trees, grasses, shrubs, mosses, lichen

• Lichen, mosses, grasses, shrubs, trees

Lichens are often the first species to colonize an environment during primary succession. In general, the first species to colonize an environment is called...

• Primary succession

• A pioneer species

• A primary consumer

• Unwise

• Secondary succession

How do lichens alter the abiotic environment to favor the establishment of other species of plants?

• They do not help other plants to grow at all

• They are a good food source for pollinators

• They provide energy for other plants

• They reflect sunlight to help them grow

• They break down rock and form soil

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Why do lichens and mosses get mostly replaced by larger plant species during succession?

• Larger plants are not edible so they are more likely to avoid predation

• Larger plants do not use as many resources as lichens and mosses

• Larger plants are autotrophs but lichens and mosses are heterotrophs

• Larger plants compete for resources like space, sunlight, and soil nutrients more successfully

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Do animals or plants come first in succession? Why?

• Plants come first because plants are more mobile than animals

• Plants come first because animals rely on them for food production

• Animals come first because all plants require pollinators

• Animals come first because animals are needed to regulate plant populations

• Plants and animals colonize the environment at the same time

Which of the following events would spark the process of secondary succession?

• An intact ecosystem is disrupted by a natural disaster

• A new island is formed off the coast of California

• A mountainside breaks apart, exposing rock

• Trees create a climax community

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Order the organisms in order from first to last to successfully colonize an area.

• Primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers, producers

• Producers, tertiary consumers, secondary consumers, primary consumers

• Producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers

• Producers, decomposers, primary consumers, secondary consumers

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

How do living things alter the biotic and abiotic environment to cause the process of succession? Choose all that apply.

• Lichens and small plants produce soil that allow larger plants to grow

• Large trees produce shade and compete for resources with smaller plants, causing a reduction in their populations

• Animals replace plants due to their superior intelligence

• Animals eat small plants to the ground so large plants must grow

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS2-4