ECOLOGICAL SUCESSION

Dr. Smitha Chandran.S

Ecological succession is defined as gradual
changes of species that live in an area over time.

There are two types of ecological succession:

1. Primary Succession
2. Secondary Succession
 There are two main types of Ecological
Succession

• Primary Succession: The process of creating

life in an area where no life previously existed.

• Secondary Succession: The process of re-

stabilization that follows a disturbance in an
area where life has formed an ecosystem.
• The development of an ecosystem in an area
that has never had a community living within
it occurs by a process called PRIMARY
SUCCESSION.
• An example of an area in which a community
has never lived before, would be a new lava
or rock from a volcano that makes a new
island
The first organisms that inhabit an area are
know as Pioneer community
 Secondary Succession
• SECONDARY SUCCESSION begins in habitats where communities
were entirely or partially destroyed by some kind of damaging
event.

• When an existing community has been cleared by a disturbance

such as a fire, tornado, etc...and the soil remains intact, the area
begins to return to its natural community.

• Since the soil is already in place, secondary succession can take

place five to ten times faster than primary succession.
 The Circle of Life in
Secondary Succession
 Why Does Ecological Succession Occur?

• Because it is the process of life for plants, soil and

other living organisms.

• Because organisms alter soil structure, chemistry,

and microclimates, the species composition of
ecological communities constantly changes over
time.

• Succession will continue until the environment

reaches it’s final stage…the Climax Community.
 The Climax Community

• A climax community is a mature, stable community that is

the final stage of ecological succession. In an ecosystem with
a climax community, the conditions continue to be suitable
for all the members of the community.

• Any particular region has its own set of climax species, which
are the plants that are best adapted for the area and will
persist after succession has finished, until another
disturbance clears the area.
These are Climax Communities
 Mechanism of succession
1. Nudation: development of a bare area due to
natural calamities, overgrazing, deforestation
etc.
2. Migration: The seeds, spores and propagules
reach the bare area- by the action of wind,
water, animals and man
3. Ecesis (establishment):is the adjustment with
the existing conditions. The seeds germinate,
seedlings grow and adults reproduce.
4. Aggregation: increase in the no. of colonising
individuals.
5. Invasion: pioneers of new species continue to
reach the area under colonisation
6. Competition and co-action: no. of species is
more at the limited space, there develops
competition for space and nutrition.
7. Reaction: it is the change brought by colonizers.
The whole sequence of communities that
replaces one another in the given area is –sere &
the communities are called as seral communities
8. stabilization(climax): After a long interval,
some individuals adapt to the existing
conditions and become dominant ones and
no further change occur in the vegetation-
climax community