How Ecosystems Change Naturally

1. How Ecosystems Change Naturally

2. What changes will you see?

4. Succession • The normal, gradual changes that occur in the types of species that live in an area.

6. Primary Succession • How will these areas (volcanic rock and glacial rock deposit) change? • What will plants need to survive here?

7. Primary Succession • Succession that begins in a place that previously had no soil or plants.

8. Pioneer Species • First plants to inhabit an area. • They often begin the soil building process by breaking down the rocks along with weathering and erosion.

9. Lichen • A common pioneer species, it produces acid that helps weather the rock into soil. • When it dies, it will also help fertilize the newly forming soil.

10. As soil forms, seeds are blown in or dropped by birds or other animals

11. Secondary Succession • Succession that occurs where soil is already present.

12. Secondary succession occurs much faster than primary succession-Why?

13. Climax Community • A community of plants that is relatively stable and undisturbed and has reached an end stage of succession. (ex-a forest)

14. Review

15. What type of succession will occur here? • Surtsey, an island off the coast of Iceland. It was created in 1963 by a volcanic eruption.

16. Primary Succession

17. What will the first species to move in be called? • Pioneer Species

18. What is a common pioneer species? • Lichen (Like-ehn)

19. What type of succession will occur here? • Secondary succession

20. What is the final stage of succession called? • Climax Community