Ecological Succession Quiz

What is ecological succession?

• The extinction of a species

• The gradual change in living communities over time

• The rapid growth of a population

• The elimination of non-native species

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Why do mosses and lichens typically appear early in primary succession?

• They require complex soil to grow

• They are brought in by large animals

• They help break down rock into soil

• They grow only in shaded areas

A wildfire destroys a large area of forest. Which organisms are likely to colonize first, and why?

• Lichens; they break down rock

• Large mammals; they need space

• Fungi; they feed on dead animals

• Grasses; they grow quickly in nutrient-rich soil

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When a community begins to develop on a site previously unoccupied by living organisms, the process is known as

• Primary succession

• Secondary succession

• Climax community

• Pioneer species

Why does it take so much longer for primary succession to occur than it does for secondary succession?

• Primary succession begins with soil and nutrients, while secondary succession begins on bare rock.

• Primary succession begins on bare rock, while secondary succession begins with soil and nutrients.

• Primary and secondary succession take the same amount of time to occur.

• Secondary succession has pioneer species that make its process faster.

The first species to populate an area which are often lichens and mosses carried to the area by wind or water is known as

• Pioneer species

• Intermediate species

• Climax community

• Producers

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When a glacier recedes and exposes rock, a new community begins to form. It will take that community over one thousand years to reach its climax. This is an example of

• Primary succession

• Secondary succession

• Energy flow

• Primary consumer

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An ecological community in which populations of plants or animals remain stable and exist in balance with each other and their environment. This final state of succession is known as

• Pioneer species

• Intermediate species

• Climax community

• Secondary succession

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Slash and burn is a farming method that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a field called a swidden. If this field was left alone, a natural community could start forming. This is an example of

• Primary succession

• Secondary succession

• Primary consumer

• Secondary consumer

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The biomass, biodiversity, and complexity of the ecological community ______________________ through succession.

• increases

• decreases

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