BIO120H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 22: Spatial Ecology, Pioneer Species, Discrete Event Simulation
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BIO120H1 Full Course Notes
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Lecture 22: spatial ecology, plant communities, and disturbance. Community dynamics: predictable successional change in plant communities: terminology: Ends at climax stage (stable equilibrium, no more change: vegetation changes spontaneously, primary succession: new substrate created, no pre-existing vegetation. Joke(cid:396)"s hill, to(cid:396)o(cid:374)to (abandoned agriculture fields/pastures): annual weeds. Perennial weeds shrubs tree saplings tree canopy and shade shrubs thin shade tolerant species remain: disturbance: discrete event that causes abrupt change in ecosystem, community, population; sets back succession. Fire, windstorm, logging, agriculture: drivers of terrestrial succession: Soil development: accumulation of organic matter, n content, ph buffering, water retaining capacity (important in primary succession) Shading (important in secondary succession): shade-tolerant species replace shade-intolerant ones. Succession may reach stable climax of dark shade, organic-rich soils but often does not: succession where no climax-type equilibrium is reached: Boreal forest: successional stages lead to spruce-fir forest, but it does not replace itself. Acid, sandy soils: pine-oak leaf litter can make soil more acid, not richer.