Notes #2- Ecological Succession

Notes #2Ecological Succession

NAME_________________________________ Period_____ Date_______________________

Answer the following:

Community Ecological succession ____________________________________the series of predictable changes that occur in a

_______________________________-all of the different organisms that live together in an area. community over time.

** ______________________________ Primary succession refers to the settlement/establishment of

vegetation in an area previously uncolonized by organisms (often starts with bare rock!). Organisms which

pioneer

first colonize an area are known as_______________________ species (lichens and mosses.)

** _______________________ Secondary succession refers to the recolonization of a geographic area,

which had been previously settled, but somehow disrupted. Some causes of disruption include

Fire

a. ____________

b. Volcanism

c. Severe weather

d. Agriculture

e. ____________________

Development

Both processes (primary and secondary succession) result in the most stable type of biome given

climax

its geographical location. This is called a _________________________community.

Be able to tell which picture is which type of succession.

Go to this website:

http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/succession.html

Answer the following questions after READING the information: 1. Write the letters of the ponds in order from the youngest, to the oldest.

B

Youngest_________

C

______

A

______

D

______ Oldest

B

2. Black bass and bluegill make their nests on sandy bottoms. In which pond would you find them? _____ 3. What will happen to the black bass and blue gill as the floor of the ponds fills with organic debris?

Fish will eventually die out because they have no place to lay their eggs. 4. Golden shiner and mud minnows lay their eggs on Chara. In which pond would you find them?________ C ___________________________________________________________________

5. Some amphibians and crayfish can withstand periods of dryness by burying themselves in mud. In which pond(s) would they survive? ________

A and D

6. Dragonfly nymphs spend their early stages clinging to submerged plants. Then, they climb to the surface, shed their skins and fly away as dragonflies. Which pond is best suited for dragonflies?__________

A

7. In which pond will gill breathing snails be replaced by lung breathing snails that climb to the surface to breathe? __________

A and D

8. Some mussels require a sandy bottom in order to maintain an upright position. In which pond will they die out. _____________

D

9. The climax community in the area of Michigan is a beech-maple forest. After the ponds are filled in, the area will undergo another series of stages of succession. This is illustrated below. Briefly explain what is happening in the diagram. What do you especially notice about the trees?

Small grasses then __________________________________ shrubs, then larger __________________________________ and larger trees. __________________________________ The trees finally become hardwood __________________________________ trees which are long __________________________________ lived trees. Trees are __________________________________ getting bigger.

Softwood trees Hardwood trees