The document discusses ecological succession, defining it as the gradual change in species abundances following disturbances, with distinctions between primary and secondary succession. It highlights examples of both types, the role of pioneer species in colonization, and variations in mature ecosystems. Additionally, it addresses the intermediate disturbance hypothesis and the concept of ecotones, emphasizing how disturbances can create diverse ecological interactions and edge effects.

1. Ecological Succession Population Changes in Context - in Communities!

2. Succession Defined: The gradual, sequential change in the relative abundances of the dominant species in a biological community following a disturbance… Primary succession : beginning from an abiotic environment following a cataclysmic disturbance Secondary succession : beginning from a major disturbance, but all forms of life are not destroyed

3. Primary or Secondary? Volcanic Island

4. Primary or Secondary? 1988 Fires in Yellowstone NP

5. Primary or Secondary? Old Parking Lot

6. Primary or Secondary? Glacial Retreat

7. Primary or Secondary? Old Farm

8. Primary Succession (forest) Colonization: of bare rock, tiny seedless plants like mosses, and lichens, “pioneer species” Early : plants typically small with short lifecycles (annuals), rapid seed dispersal, “environmental stabilizers” Middle : plants typically longer lived, slower seed dispersal (herbs, shurbs, perennials) Late : plant species are those associated with older, more mature ecosystem-largest vegetation (trees) “ Climax Community ” mature forest in this case (but varies by biome) *Note: Consumers and decomposer populations will also vary as producer populations change…as well as nutrient cycling…

9. Research on Primary Succession

11. Research on Secondary Succession

12. Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center (NJ) Old Field Secondary Succession1962-1995

13. Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center (NJ) Old Field Secondary Succession1962-1995

14. Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center (NJ) First Year

15. Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center (NJ) Fifth Year

16. Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center (NJ) Tenth Year

17. Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center (NJ) Twentieth Year

18. Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center (NJ) Twenty-Eighth Year

19. Changes in Biodiversity

20. © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

21. © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

22. Succession in Aquatic Ecosystems © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

23. Succession in a Pond 1960s to 1990s

24. Is a Climax Community Always Inevitable? New research suggests that we cannot always project the course of a given succession or view it as preordained Communities are always subject to disturbances and we cannot always know the outcome Disturbances can be beneficial for communities…

25. The Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis Hypothesis: Communities that experience fairly frequent but moderate disturbances have the greatest species diversity Reasoning: Moderate disturbances are large enough to create openings for colonizing species in disturbed areas, but mild and infrequent enough to allow the survival of some mature species in undisturbed areas

26. ‘ General Ecology’, D.T. Krohne

27. Ecotones Disturbances often create ecotones , but they also exist as natural transitions between biomes or ecosystems An ecotone is a transition area between two adjacent ecological communities a sharp boundary or a gradual blending effect particularly significant for mobile animals, as they can exploit more than one set of habitats within a short distance this can produce an edge effect along the boundary line, with the area possibly displaying a greater than usual diversity of species

28. Edge Effects Disturbances can fragment ecosystems and create edge effects An edge effect describes the differing abiotic and biotic conditions that exist at a border between contrasting environments in an ecosystem the increased light, greater wind and temperature extremes and lower humidity at the boundaries of fragments favor some plant species over others (native colonizing species or invasive species) this can make the combination of species present near the boundary different from that inside the fragment (more diverse or less depending on the factors)

29. Remember This Edge Effect? Kudzu at DCEP

30. Habitat Fragmentation

31. Bibliography http://www.ecostudies.org/bss/index.html http://www.lifeinfreshwater.org.uk/Web%20pages/ponds/Succession%20Intro.htm