Ecological Succession Practice

Wildfires in Crater Lake burned approximately 33,000 acres in 2011, leaving 25 square miles of charred timber and bare ground. The five-week fire burned the loblolly pine trees and seeds for which Bastrop State Park is famous. Park rangers are hoping that new plant growth on the bare soil cover will eventually be established as pine trees; however, immediately following a wildfire, the first plants which emerge will most likely be grasses as a stage in─

• PRIMARY SUCCESSION

• SECONDARY SUCCESSION

• TERTIARY SUCCESSION

• CLIMAX COMMUNITY

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Which type of succession occurs after a disturbance, such as a fire or flood?

• quaternary succession

• tertiary succession

• secondary succession

• primary succession

When a volcano erupted, the lava flow completely covered the ground for miles. It stripped the ecosystem of all life. Within a few years, primary succession began to occur. Which was the pattern of succession that redeveloped the ecosystem?

• Rock → Lichens → Soil → Grass → Shrubs → Forest

• Rock → Shrubs → Soil → Lichens → Grass → Forest

• Soil → Moses → Grass → Shrubs → Forest

• Soil → Grass → Shrubs → Forest → Lichens

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Give an example of a pioneer species.

• Moss

• Fern

• Cactus

• Grass

Which type of succession occurs on bare rock or newly formed land?

• Primary succession

• Climax succession

• Tertiary succession

• Secondary succession

What are pioneer species?

• The first organisms to colonize a barren or disturbed area.

• Species that are on the verge of extinction.

• Species that only exist in tropical regions.

• The oldest species in an ecosystem.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

A pioneer species is...

• a large organism
• the first organisms to adapt to a new environment 
• The best organism 
• Abiotic organisms 

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

As ecosystems move through the stages of succession, the populations of organisms in them change. Which of the following describes the stage of succession likely to have the most species diversity?

• A newly formed volcanic island

• An agricultural field that has not been plowed for one year

• A temperate forest that has never been cleared by logging

• A field that is regularly mowed

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NGSS.MS-LS2-5

What is the correct order from oldest (happened first) to youngest (happened last) in this pond succession?

• A, B, C, D
• D, C, B, A
• B, A, D, C
• C, D, A, B

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

What is secondary succession?

• The process of ecological succession that occurs in a marine ecosystem.

• The process of ecological succession that occurs in a previously inhabited but disturbed or destroyed area.

• The process of ecological succession that occurs in a previously uninhabited area.

• The process of ecological succession that occurs in a primary forest.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4