Ecological Succession Quiz

What type of succession is most likely to happen in the forest shown in the illustration?

• Primary

• Tertiary

• Secondary

• Accommodating

Which of the following best describes a situation where secondary succession would occur?

• On bare rock exposed after a volcanic eruption

• In a forest after a wildfire has cleared the vegetation but left the soil intact

• On a newly formed sand dune with no soil

• In a pond that has just dried up, leaving only rocks

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Emma is studying a forest that has not experienced any major disturbances for many years. She wants to identify which characteristics indicate that this forest has reached a climax community. Which of the following are true characteristics of a climax community?

• High species diversity

• Frequent disturbances

• Stable population dynamics

• Low biomass

• High ecosystem complexity

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS2-2

NGSS.HS-LS2-6

What typically happens to the total biomass in an ecosystem as ecological succession progresses toward a climax community?

• It steadily decreases over time

• It increases and then stabilizes at maturity

• It stays the same from start to finish

• It is highest during the initial stages

Put the stages of ecological succession in order from bare rock to climax community.

• Lichens and mosses colonize → Soil begins to form → Grasses and small plants grow → Shrubs and trees begin to grow → Climax community established

• Soil begins to form → Lichens and mosses colonize → Grasses and small plants grow → Shrubs and trees begin to grow → Climax community established

• Grasses and small plants grow → Shrubs and trees begin to grow → Soil begins to form → Lichens and mosses colonize → Climax community established

• Shrubs and trees begin to grow → Grasses and small plants grow → Lichens and mosses colonize → Soil begins to form → Climax community established

What is the most likely sequence of plant communities to develop in a recently cleared forest area in the eastern United States?

• Bare soil, mosses, lichens, grasses, coniferous trees

• Bare soil, grasses and wildflowers, shrubs, young deciduous trees, mature deciduous trees

• Bare rock, lichens, mosses, grasses, shrubs, shade-tolerant trees

• Bare soil, lichens, mosses, grasses, shrubs, coniferous trees

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

succession that occurs in an area with no soil

• ecological succession 
• primary succession 
• secondary succession
• pioneer speciles

reaches a climax community quicker because soil is already present

• primary succession 
• secondary succession
• both types of succession

this type of succession occurs after a forest fire

• primary succession
• secondary succession
• both

The picture shows what type of succession?

• primary
• secondary
• tertiary
• quadanary

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2