BIOLOGY 2F03 Lecture Notes - Climax Community, Primary Succession, Species Richness
Document Summary
Succession community changes include increases in species diversity and changes in species composition. Ecosystem changes include increases in biomass, primary production, respiration, and nutrient retention. Mechanisms of succession include facilitation tolerance, and inhibition community stability may be due to lack of disturbance or community resistance. Definitions succession: gradual accumulation and change in plant and animal communities in an open area. Primary: succession on newly exposed geological substrates secondary: succession following disturbance that does not destroy all life climax community: late successional community remains stable until disrupted by disturbance. Reiners et al. studied changes in plant diversity during succession total number of plant species increased with plot age species richness increased rapidly in early years of succession and more slowly during later stages. Not all groups of plants increased in density throughout succession. Glacier bay example the number of plant species increased rapidly at first (200 years) and then began to level off.
