This document defines and classifies different types of climaxes in plant succession. A climax is the final stable plant community for a given environment. There are several types of climaxes, including climatic, edaphic, pre-climax, post-climax, biotic, catastrophic, and disclimax. Each type is distinguished based on the factors influencing the plant community, such as climate, soil conditions, biotic interactions, or human disturbances. The climax community is balanced and resistant to changes in environmental conditions.

1. Concept
of
Climax
Prepared by:
Angelica V. Villegas
BEEd 3-1

2. Climax
stage of plant
succession for a given
environment.
Culmination

3. Disturbances
FLOODS
Wildfire Windstorm

4. Characteristics of Climax

5. • The vegetation is tolerant of
environmental conditions.
• It has a wide diversity of species, a
well-drained spatial structure,
and complex food chains.

6. • The climax ecosystem is balanced.
There is equilibrium between
gross primary production and total
respiration, between energy used
from sunlight and energy released by
decomposition, between uptake
of nutrients from the soil and the
return of nutrient by litterfall to
the soil.

7. • Individuals in the climax stage are
replaced by others of the same kind.
Thus the species composition
maintains equilibrium.
• It is an index of the climate of the
area. The life or growth
forms indicate the climatic type.

8. Classification of Climax

9. 1 . Climatic Climax
It is the climax which owes its
distinctive characters to climatic
factors in conjunction with only
such biotic influence as plants and
animals naturally occurring in the
area.

10. 2. Edaphic Climax
A community which differs from
the climatic climax of the area
owing to the influence of special
soil factors.

11. 3. Pre-climax
The plant community immediately
preceding in seral development of the
climatic climax of the region and found
under conditions drier than are usual
in the climate of the region.

12. 4. Post Climax
A plant community more exacting
than the climatic climax of a given
and found exceptionally favorable
site conditions within that region.

13. 5. Biotic climax or
Sub-climax
A climax which differs from the
climatic climax of the area owing to
the action of biotic factors.

14. 6. Catastrophic Climax
Climax vegetation vulnerable to
a catastrophic event such as a
wildfire.

15. 7. Disclimax
When a stable community, which is
not the climatic or edaphic climax for
the given site, is maintained by man or
his domestic animals, it is designated
as Disclimax (disturbance climax) or
anthropogenic subclimax (man-
generated).

16. References:
http://www.forestrynepal.org/notes/silviculture
/succession/4