Natalia Cocom and Lili Trujeque

Succession

19/7/16

How do ecosystems develop over time?

Why?
On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens in the state of Washington erupted with the force of
a hydrogen bomb. The volcano had been dormant for over 120 years, but now 57 people
were dead and forests and lakes were totally destroyed, including nearby Spirit Lake,
which became a mud hole. The blast leveled trees in areas over 10 miles from the
crater and ash deposits suffocated life on the mountain. However, within weeks,
mammals that had taken shelter underground started to reappear in the area, and now,
over thirty years later, many areas of the mountain are colonized with a large variety of
plant and animal life. How does an area move from a sterile, barren wilderness to one
full of life?

Succession

Model 1 Primary Succession

1. Refer to Model 1.
a. On what type of land does primary succession first begin to occur?
On sterile, barren land
b. Does there appear to be any life on the land when primary succession begins?
no
c. Why would most plants such as shrubs and trees find it difficult to grow here?
only rocks, No soil to hold or anchor the roots of trees, lack of nutrients
2. Refer to diagram B in Model 1.
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a. What are the first organisms (colonizers) on this land?

Low-growing plants such as mosses, ferns and lichens
b. Suggest the mechanisms by which the first colonizers arrived on the land.
dispersal of seeds by birds and wind

Read This!
The first colonizers are referred to as the pioneer community. These can include lichens, mosses, ferns, and
bacteriaall organisms with low nutrient requirements. As they colonize, they break the weathered rock
surface, which helps to create the first thin layer of soil. Without soil other plant life cannot be sustained and
without plants no animal life can exist.
3. Refer to Model 1.
a. Which diagram illustrates a pioneer community?
B
b. What are some of the features of the pioneer community?
Require low nutrients to survive, low-growing plants, thin layer of soil from weathered rocks
4. Notice the colonizers in diagrams C and D are taller and require more nutrients than those in the pioneer
community. Considering what you already know about plants and photosynthesis, why might it be a
competitive advantage for a plant to be taller?
The taller the plant the more sunlight it receives to photosynthesize and make more food. They also
shade out smaller plants and decrease the competition.
5. What happens to the pioneer organisms once the new colonizers become established?
The pioneer plants decrease and die.
Read This!
As the newer colonizers begin to take over, animals will also begin to appear so they can feed on the more
diverse food source. The pioneer plants die and decompose and the animals leave behind manure. Both add to
the thin soil layer.
6. What effect will the addition of animal waste and decayed plant matter have on the soil and land?

Both will help to keep the land fertile by enriching the composition of the soil.

Succession

7. How will grazing animals help plants to become established?

They leave manure behind which adds nutrients (ammonium compounds) to the soil where seeds are
found.

8. How will the grazing animals prevent or control further colonization by other plants?

The level of grazing can impact further succession of an ecosystem as the animals eat the young plants.

9. Using the diagrams in Model 1 as a guide to develop a defi nition with your group for the term primary
succession, as it relates to the colonizing of barren land.

Primary succession is a process of restoration of life to a sterile and barren area after a disturbance.

Read This!
As soil quality and quantity improves, the life forms present in the area undergo a series of changes, each
referred to as a seral stage. Eventually a stable climax community is formed.
10. Label the pictures in Model 1 as pioneer community, seral stages, and climax community.
B-Pioneer Stage; C and D-Seral Stage; E-climax community
11. Most climax communities are mature forests. What features of mature forest species, such as oak trees,
make them able to dominate and compete in the ecosystem?

They take years to grow and grow very tall. They provide a canopy to the shade the others and provide
a habitat for many living flora and fauna. They can also decrease the light to smaller plants and they
can die.
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POGIL Activities for High School Biology

12. What environmental factors may affect the type of climax community that develops in an ecosystem?

Factors are: disturbance, availability of light, salinity, availability of nutrients in soil, weather and
climate and human activities.

Model 2 Secondary Succession

13. Refer to the diagrams in Model 2.

a. What stage of development does diagram A represent?
Established climax community after primary succession.
Succession

b. What appears to have happened in diagram B?

A disturbance in the form of a fire.
c. What could be two causes of this event?
Human pollution or arson; natural because of high temperatures.
d. What process will begin again after this event has occurred?
Secondary succession
14. Can the ecosystem totally recover from this set-back? What evidence is given in Model 2?
Yes it can totally recover because low growing plants will start growing and then trees will develop
over time as the soil is already available. It says in the caption that it is restored.
15. What effect does an existing soil presence have on the seral stages of secondary succession and the
time it takes to return to the climax community compared to primary succession? Give your answer in
complete sentences and justify your reasoning.

During stages of primary succession it takes about 100-200 years for the community to become stable
because of the building up of the layers of soil. This is done through weathering of rocks and can take
very long. On the other hand, during secondary succession it takes about 50-100 years because the soil
remains intact and just need replenishing with nutrients so that larger plants can survive. So during the
seral stages larger plants will be able to grow at a faster rate because the soil is readily available to
anchor their roots.

16. Why is the title of Model 2 Secondary Succession rather than Primary Succession?

In primary succession the land is barren and there is no soil while secondary succession is an ecological process
that occurs after a disturbance has destroyed a stable community and the soil remains intact. In addition,
organisms might go into hiding and come back out after a disturbance during secondary succession.

POGIL Activities for High School Biology

17. Consider each event below and determine if the recovery process for the environment will
happen by primary succession or secondary succession.
a. Melting, receding glaciers- Primary succession
b. Logging a wooded area-Secondary succession
c. Major flooding of a creek bed.-secondary succession
d. Volcanic eruption with lava flow.- primary succession
18. Are these destructive methods always natural? Explain your answer:

Melting, flooding (natural disaster) and volcanic eruptions are natural occurences (we have no
control over it) of nature while logging is not. However, flooding can be man made if its from a
dam or the breaking of a dam.

19. Human activity may alter or deflect the natural course of succession, which leads to a change in

the climax community. An example of a human activity that deflects succession would be grass
mowing. The climax community that develops from a deflected succession is called a plagioclimax
community. Suggest some other human actions that may lead to plagioclimax communities.

Cutting down the existing vegetation.

Burning as a means of forest clearance.
Planting trees or crops.
Grazing and trampling by domesticated animals.
Harvesting of planted crops.

Extension Question
Succession

20. Large canopy trees in rainforests reduce light penetration to the forest floor and slow down the growth
of tree saplings. In a dense forest, selective logging is often used as a means of conservation, rather
than clear cutting large sections of land. Why might selective logging be considered preferable to clear
cutting?
Deforestation is a disturbance to a climax community and the ecosystem will go through secondary
succession. Therefore, selective logging is done to protect the species living under these large trees and
helps with decreasing competition for light and other resources the plants need to survive. On the other
hand, clear cutting removes large trees and we have to wait for sixty years for another to grow. These large
trees also holds moisture in the soil and with their removal then moisture is lost. Productivity will increase
if we replanted when we cut down trees.

POGIL Activities for High School Biology