Types of Succession

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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.

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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)

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Example of when Primary Succession occursNew
Volcanic Islands
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Another exampleGlaciers

Succession will occur on the new land that is
left after the glacier retreats.
5
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

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Order of Succession

• Draw a picture of what happens between primary
  and secondary succession
• Lets look at some examples!

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Forest Fire in Yellowstone National Park,
1988 The red on the map is the extent of the fire
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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.
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Mount St. Helens before and after the 1980
eruption
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Trees were flattened by the shear force of the
blast
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Mt. St. Helen 1988
Mt. St. Helen 2001
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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

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• 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?

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Primary Succession
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Secondary Succession
What step is missing? (What has to happen first
for secondary succession to happen?)
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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.