Define succession
The process by which the species composition of a community changes over time.
Define seral stage
Each stage of community change during the process of succession
Define pioneer species
The earliest species to arrive at a site
Define climax community
The final seral stage in the process of succession
Describe the differences between direct and indirect studies of succession.
Making a continuous timeline of succession via direct observations vs inferential methods (like carbon dating material in lake sediments and examining chronosequences)
What assumptions must be made when studying a chronosequence?
- All the organisms that colonize
What is the difference between primary and secondary succession?
Succession beginning in an environment without organic soil vs an environment which has organic soil