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WorksheetsEcological Succession
Total questions: 14
Worksheet time: 7mins
A climax community is reached
At the beginning of succession
In the middle of succession
At the end of succession
When an ecosystem is destroyed
A volcano erupts and covers the entire island it is on with lava. Once it eventually hardens, primary succession begins to occur. Which of the following lists the correct order in which plant growth would occur?
Shrubs → mosses → coconut trees → sea grasses
Volcanic rock → lichen → mosses → grasses → coconut trees
Volcanic rock → shrubs → coconut trees → sea grasses
Volcanic rock → sea grasses → coconut trees → shrubs
A logger clears a forest and the forest re-grows over many subsequent years. Which type of succession represents the regrowth of this forest?
Primary succession
Secondary succession
Pioneer species
Climax community
After a natural disaster, like a hurricane, what will happen to the damaged ecosystem?
Nothing; it will remain uninhabited
A new, completely different ecosystem will evolve
An ecosystem like the previous one will be re-established
No one really knows what to expect after a natural disaster
Organisms that are the first to move into an area, and begin forming soil for an ecosystem, are known as
Pioneer species
Endemic species
A climax community
Invasive species
Which of the following statements is not true of secondary succession?
Moss and lichens must be present
Occurs after a disturbance
Begins with soil
Ends in a climax community
Which diagram shows the greatest number of pioneer organisms?
A
E
C
D
Which diagram represents a climax community?
E
B
C
D
What caused succession to occur in stages A through E?
Importation of organisms that have no natural enemies
Each community modifying the environment
Urban development disrupting natural habitats
Technological oversights leading to air pollution
The type of vegetation in a climax community that becomes established in an area depends upon the
rate of photosynthesis
number of carnivores present
climate conditions of the area
concentration of nitrogen in the air
What would happen if a fire destroyed all the organisms in the climax stage?
Drought-resistant shrubs and succulent plants would replace the climax stage
The shrub stage would become extinct
Secondary succession would begin, leading to another climax stage
Grasses would become the dominant plants in a new climax community
In which stage would minerals be added due to the activities and decomposition of pioneer organisms?
A
E
C
D
Pioneer species are distinguished from those that arrive later in ecological succession because pioneer species
grow very quickly
can grow on hard, barren rock
can grow in loose, wet soil
have powerful defenses against herbivores
Which of the following is true about primary and secondary succession?
Secondary succession occurs more quickly
Primary succession occurs when an existing community is damaged
Only secondary succession ends in a climax community
Only primary succession ends in a climax community
