Transcript Primary Succession

Types of Succession
Succession is the natural change of an
ecosystem over time. As time passes
new species will be introduced to
ecosystems. The rate of change
depends on the previous environment.
Primary Succession
• There is no previous community
• There are rocks, no soil. Rocks must break down into
soil.
• This occurs by lichens breaking apart the rock
material.
• Lichens are a symbiotic relationship between a
fungus and a photosynthetic partner (usually an
algae).
• Takes a very long time for this succession to occur.
• Centuries
• EX: Barren land, glaciers, new volcanic islands
(Hawaii)
Example of when Primary
Succession occurs
New Volcanic Islands
Another example
Glaciers
•
Succession will occur on
the new land that is left
after the glacier retreats.
Secondary Succession
• There was a previous community that was destroyed
somehow
• The soil remains from the previous community
• This means lichens do not need to break down the rocks.
• Secondary succession is faster than primary
succession
• Decades
• EX: forest fire, volcanic eruption
Order of Succession
• Draw a picture of what happens between
primary and secondary succession…
• Let’s look at some examples!
Forest Fire in
Yellowstone National
Park, 1988
The red on the map is
the extent of the fire
This photo was taken in Yellowstone National Park near the Old
Faithful Geyser in June of 1999, eleven years after the fires.
Burned out trees remain standing, although new trees are rising to
take their place.
Mount St. Helens before and after the
1980 eruption
Trees were flattened by the shear
force of the blast
Mt. St. Helen
1988
Mt. St. Helen
2001
Mt. Saint Helen is not the only volcano
•The largest
volcano in
North
America is
Yellowstone.
•The red line
indicates the
size of the
volcano
caldera
•The Mesa Falls ash
bed, Huckleberry
Ridge ash bed and
Lava Creek ash bed
all were created
when the
Yellowstone Super
Volcano erupted.
•Would we be safe if
it erupted again?
Primary Succession
Small
trees
Rock
Lichen:
Pioneer
species
Small
plants and
shrubs
Mature Trees
Secondary Succession
Small trees
Mature Trees
Small
sun
loving Small shrubs and
plants bushes
What step is missing? (What has to happen first for
secondary succession to happen?)
Order of Succession
• Pioneer Organisms  Serel Stages  Climax
Community
– Pioneer Organisms are the first organisms to grow in
an area after the land is exposed.
– Serel Stages are the stages of growth in between the
beginning and the mature area.
– Climax Community is the mature community that will
grow in an area.